Former England midfielder Gascoigne fondly recalled his friendship with the late boxing world champion Ricky Hatton in an interview with FourFourTwo magazine. Hatton's death caused a huge shock in the football and boxing circles, with people from all walks of life expressing their condolences.
Gascoigne said: "Richie Hatton was so hilarious! He was a guy like me who would give his time to anyone and even give his last penny to others. His death is really heartbreaking."
Gascoigne recalled an event in Bristol with Hatton, Phil Taylor and Jimmy White. "We had a few drinks and the next morning I woke him up from bed and asked him what he was going to do today. He said he was going to take a shower and then go on Celebrity Bullseye," Gascoigne said with a laugh.
"Hatton went into the bathroom, and I saw a pair of black shoes in his room, so I signed my name on one of them with a gold pen. He came out and yelled, 'You idiot!' and then I saw him on TV throwing darts with only one shoe on. It was so funny!"
Hatton died at the age of 46, after publicly talking about his mental health problems for many years. Investigation revealed that the cause of his death was suicide by hanging.
Gascoigne himself has experienced many hardships, but he said he is enjoying life now. "If anything bad happens to me, it's my fault and I don't blame anyone else."
When asked if there was ever a time when he worried that he might not be able to live anymore, Gascoigne replied: "No, I have never been that bad. I did have moments when I was low and insane, but I never thought about ending my life."