Gazza and the slow-motion collapse that started when he was 10 years old

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As Paul Gascoigne returns home after being found semi-unconscious last week, documentary maker Jane Preston, who spent months filming with him, recalls the emotional and psychological toll of a life spent trying to be Paul when the world wanted Gazza and the childhood trauma which has affected him for life

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ast Monday, notifications from multiple media outlets and text messages from friends and colleagues started pinging into my phone. Beep. Beep. Beep. I opened the alerts to see Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne, the 58-year-old football icon and national treasure, had been rushed to hospital after being found semi-unconscious at home and was in an intensive care unit. My heart sank. Oh Paul. It was a moment I’d feared would one day happen.