By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 04:14 EST, 9 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:51 EST, 9 July 2013 . Collapsed: Paul Gascoigne was hospitalised yesterday after falling over in the street . Troubled footballer Paul Gascoigne was rushed to hospital last night after being found collapsed in the street outside a hotel in London. The star was apparently 'very drunk' and needed crutches to walk before he fell over, prompting worried bystanders to call the police. The incident came just four days after he was arrested for allegedly attacking his ex-wife Sheryl and a train guard in a drunken assault. Gascoigne's celebrity friends, who paid for him to go to rehab in the U.S. earlier this year, are apparently 'disappointed' by his relapse - and suggest that he may never recover from the scourge of alcoholism. In the latest incident, witnesses described seeing the 46-year-old former footballer looking like an 'old disabled guy' and visibly drunk as he wandered aimlessly around central London. He collapsed outside the Royal National Hotel in Russell Square, leading onlookers to call for the police and ambulance. While waiting for an ambulance to arrive, Gascoigne apparently asked to speak to Sheryl, and tried to persuade a bystander to ring her on his mobile. The former England midfielder had two bottles of gin on him as well as hundreds of pounds in cash, according to The Sun. He was taken to a nearby hospital, believed to be University College Hospital, for treatment. Australian tourist Daniel Stubbe told the Daily Mirror: 'He had a stick or a crutch and we thought he was just this old disabled guy. He looked so old and so ill.' An employee of the hotel told The Sun: 'There was an ambulance and motorbike called to Gazza who was lying flat on his face.' Gazza collapsed outside the Royal National Hotel in Bedford Way, central London . Many witnesses took to Twitter to . express their sadness at the sight of the fallen star and ask his . celebrity friends to step in and save Gascoigne from his alcohol . troubles. Victor Abbey . sent a message to Piers Morgan saying, 'Just seen one of the saddest . sights, a drunk Gazza, if you can reach out to him or his friends please . do, he still needs help.' Matt . Morrison tweeted: 'Just bumped into Gazza. By which I mean he almost . fell into me. On crutches, barely recognisable, gaunt, wasted. Saddest . thing ever.' Another . Twitter user wrote to Gascoigne's former teammate Gary Lineker saying . that the ex-player was 'very drunk' and 'very sick', adding that he . looked 'lost and confused'. Relapse: Gascoigne was said to be on the road to recovery from his alcohol problems before being arrested and hospitalised in the past week . A spokesman for the . Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called to reports of a man . causing a disturbance outside a hotel in Russell Square. 'The man was taken to a central London hospital by the ambulance service. There were no arrests.' Former international cricketer Ronnie . Irani, who contributed to a £100,000 fund which enabled Gascoigne to . undergo a rehab programme in Arizona, said today that the news did not . come as a shock. 'Are we surprised? No, it's sad but . we just hope and pray that he can get through it,' he told BBC Radio 5 . Live, adding that he and other friends of the star are 'disappointed'. Couple: Gascoigne demanded to speak to his ex-wife Sheryl, with whom he is picture in 1993 . He suggested that Gascoigne might never get over his drink problems, pointing out that only 10 per cent of alcoholics ever recover and adding: 'He's got mental health issues as well that we know about, so it's going to be very tough for him.' Asked if he was worried that the footballer's disease might eventually kill him, Irani admitted: 'When it comes to addictions, I think alcohol takes the most lives, so there's every chance that this could happen.' The former Essex and England star also seemed to suggest that Gascoigne had never thanked him for contributing to the rehab as he said, 'I don't need a thanks from Paul Gascoigne.' Last Thursday, Gascoigne was arrested at Stevenage train station following reports he had grabbed a guard by the throat and then held Sheryl by the arm when she tried to step in. Peak: The talented England midfielder is pictured during the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup . He was held by police overnight and . released on bail in the morning, but later that day was apparently seen . swigging gin from the bottle in a convenience store in London. Five months ago, Gascoigne went to rehab in the U.S. after being seen drunk and rambling at a public Q&A event. The £100,000 cost of his treatment was funded by celebrity friends such as Lineker and DJ Chris Evans, and in May Gascoigne was seen with his family at Windsor racecourse looking happy and healthy. He told ITV's Daybreak that he wanted to 'get back to reality' and pledged to stay sober, although he admitted that his alcohol troubles were likely to continue.
Former footballer was walking on crutches and 'looked like an old man'
46-year-old collapsed outside hotel and taken away in an ambulance .
Gascoigne was arrested last week after allegedly assaulting ex-wife Sheryl .
He may never recover, friends who paid for him to go to rehab admit .
By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 04:14 EST, 9 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:51 EST, 9 July 2013 . Collapsed: Paul Gascoigne was hospitalised yesterday after falling over in the street . Troubled footballer Paul Gascoigne was rushed to hospital last night after being found collapsed in the street outside a hotel in London. The star was apparently 'very drunk' and needed crutches to walk before he fell over, prompting worried bystanders to call the police. The incident came just four days after he was arrested for allegedly attacking his ex-wife Sheryl and a train guard in a drunken assault. Gascoigne's celebrity friends, who paid for him to go to rehab in the U.S. earlier this year, are apparently 'disappointed' by his relapse - and suggest that he may never recover from the scourge of alcoholism. In the latest incident, witnesses described seeing the 46-year-old former footballer looking like an 'old disabled guy' and visibly drunk as he wandered aimlessly around central London. He collapsed outside the Royal National Hotel in Russell Square, leading onlookers to call for the police and ambulance. While waiting for an ambulance to arrive, Gascoigne apparently asked to speak to Sheryl, and tried to persuade a bystander to ring her on his mobile. The former England midfielder had two bottles of gin on him as well as hundreds of pounds in cash, according to The Sun. He was taken to a nearby hospital, believed to be University College Hospital, for treatment. Australian tourist Daniel Stubbe told the Daily Mirror: 'He had a stick or a crutch and we thought he was just this old disabled guy. He looked so old and so ill.' An employee of the hotel told The Sun: 'There was an ambulance and motorbike called to Gazza who was lying flat on his face.' Gazza collapsed outside the Royal National Hotel in Bedford Way, central London . Many witnesses took to Twitter to . express their sadness at the sight of the fallen star and ask his . celebrity friends to step in and save Gascoigne from his alcohol . troubles. Victor Abbey . sent a message to Piers Morgan saying, 'Just seen one of the saddest . sights, a drunk Gazza, if you can reach out to him or his friends please . do, he still needs help.' Matt . Morrison tweeted: 'Just bumped into Gazza. By which I mean he almost . fell into me. On crutches, barely recognisable, gaunt, wasted. Saddest . thing ever.' Another . Twitter user wrote to Gascoigne's former teammate Gary Lineker saying . that the ex-player was 'very drunk' and 'very sick', adding that he . looked 'lost and confused'. Relapse: Gascoigne was said to be on the road to recovery from his alcohol problems before being arrested and hospitalised in the past week . A spokesman for the . Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called to reports of a man . causing a disturbance outside a hotel in Russell Square. 'The man was taken to a central London hospital by the ambulance service. There were no arrests.' Former international cricketer Ronnie . Irani, who contributed to a £100,000 fund which enabled Gascoigne to . undergo a rehab programme in Arizona, said today that the news did not . come as a shock. 'Are we surprised? No, it's sad but . we just hope and pray that he can get through it,' he told BBC Radio 5 . Live, adding that he and other friends of the star are 'disappointed'. Couple: Gascoigne demanded to speak to his ex-wife Sheryl, with whom he is picture in 1993 . He suggested that Gascoigne might never get over his drink problems, pointing out that only 10 per cent of alcoholics ever recover and adding: 'He's got mental health issues as well that we know about, so it's going to be very tough for him.' Asked if he was worried that the footballer's disease might eventually kill him, Irani admitted: 'When it comes to addictions, I think alcohol takes the most lives, so there's every chance that this could happen.' The former Essex and England star also seemed to suggest that Gascoigne had never thanked him for contributing to the rehab as he said, 'I don't need a thanks from Paul Gascoigne.' Last Thursday, Gascoigne was arrested at Stevenage train station following reports he had grabbed a guard by the throat and then held Sheryl by the arm when she tried to step in. Peak: The talented England midfielder is pictured during the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup . He was held by police overnight and . released on bail in the morning, but later that day was apparently seen . swigging gin from the bottle in a convenience store in London. Five months ago, Gascoigne went to rehab in the U.S. after being seen drunk and rambling at a public Q&A event. The £100,000 cost of his treatment was funded by celebrity friends such as Lineker and DJ Chris Evans, and in May Gascoigne was seen with his family at Windsor racecourse looking happy and healthy. He told ITV's Daybreak that he wanted to 'get back to reality' and pledged to stay sober, although he admitted that his alcohol troubles were likely to continue.
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