LONDON, March 10 (Reuters) - Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne said he thought he was going to die last month while he was being treated for alcoholism in the United States. The 45-year-old said he heard three doctors saying they did not think he was going to pull through before he slipped into a coma that lasted for three days. "I thought I was on my way out. It has got to inspire me to never let this happen again. I've come through that - death. I was dead," Gascoigne said in an interview in The Sun on Sunday.

Former England star Paul Gascoigne is in intensive care in the United States after being diagnosed as not well enough to begin his treatment for alcoholism it was reported by the Mail on Sunday. The 45-year-old - capped 57 times but who has battled alcoholism for years and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in 2008 - had been due to receive treatment at a rehabilitation clinic in Arizona at a cost of around US $30,000 for a two month stay there.

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who is being treated for alcohol addiction in a United States clinic, has been moved to a hospital intensive care unit but should be able to resume rehabilitation treatment soon, his ex-team mate Gary Mabbutt said on Sunday. "Unfortunately Paul had a very bad reaction to the detox and the clinic decided that as a precaution it was best to transfer him to hospital... where he went into intensive care so they could monitor him 24/7," Mabbutt told Sky Sports.

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - John Barnes has urged soccer's ruling bodies to lend support to lesser-known players troubled by off-field issues after his former England team mate Paul Gascoigne was admitted to a U.S. clinic for treatment for alcoholism this week. Gascoigne, 45, has lapsed in his battle to control his drink addiction and has travelled to the United States to address what his management company described as "complex issues".