Troubled former Rangers star Paul Gascoigne told he he went on all-night exercise binges to stop him hitting the bottle in the lead up to his sex assault trial.
The football legend, 52, was cleared of sexually assaulting a woman on a train by kissing her.
And fighting back the emotion in a frank interview with our sister paper the Mirror – the first since cleared – he spoke about being plagued for months by the prospect of being put on the sex offenders register.
He admitted: “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. It’s been a year of hell.”
Gazza, who has battled alcoholism for years, says he feared being abused in the street and was reduced to tears at the thought of being barred from seeing his young relatives, reports the Mirror .
(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
He also reveals he wanted to jump up in court and scream: “I’m no sex offender” and claimed that while being questioned by police, officers asked him to pose for selfies and to relive his Euro 96 goal against Scotland.
And he maintains he only kissed the woman at the centre of the court case because she was being taunted over her weight by fellow train passengers.
Their jibes brought back terrible memories for Paul of his bullied nephew’s overdose death at just 22.
Gazza says: “My nephew Jay died, he was bullied and I never want to see that happen to someone else.
“All I was doing was sticking up for the girl.
(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
“I gave the girl a peck. I didn’t mean anything sexual, I just heard what was said to her and wanted to help. If it was anyone else this would never have gone to court. I accept I’m not liked by everyone.
“I shouldn’t have to change the way I behave. I’ve been kissed six times this morning – does that mean I have been sexually assaulted?
“The last year has been a nightmare and I’ve worked hard to stay sober, in the last six months I’ve not touched a drop.
“I’ve been in trouble but nothing like this. I worried people would stop me going down the high street and shout abuse at me, or stop me from being around their kids.
“I was thinking, ‘Have I let the fans down?’ Being on the sex offenders list – that’s not me. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. There were times when I could have just f***ing locked the door, turned my phones off and just got bladdered.
“I’ve stayed strong – I’ve had to. Even talking about this I could walk out and go get p***ed now. But I know alcohol would make it worse.”
(Image: Andy Commins/Daily Mirror)
He went on to say he feared getting worse publicity than Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew’s paedophile pal.
The kiss at the centre of the court case happened after Gazza boarded the 17.31 York to Newcastle train on August 20 last year.
In court he was said to have kissed the woman without her consent for four seconds in front of shocked passengers.
With no idea what was about to unfold, Gazza returned to his hotel.
He went on: “I got back to my hotel and called my sister.
“While I was on the phone the police knocked on her door and said ‘Hi Paul, we want to talk to you about the incident on the train’.
“I didn’t mean anything nasty by it but I said, ‘Is this about the fat lass?’ They said they wanted to come see me and I said, ‘What for? For the peck I did?’
(Image: SNS Group)
Gazza was put in a holding cell for four hours and questioned for 45 minutes. He had his shoes removed, his fingerprints taken and posed for a mugshot.
He went on: “It was only six weeks before the trial when it hit me. A lot of my friends have kids. I thought, ‘If I’m on the sex offenders’ list does that mean I can’t be near children?’ I just started crying.
“There are so many kids in my life, my nephews, my mates’ kids.
“Then it started to hit me hard and I had sleepless nights.”
Desperate to avoid caving in to his drink demons, Gazza turned to frenzied exercise sessions.
“I would be up all night doing sit-ups and squats or on the bike,” he added. “Anything to keep my mind busy
“Those weeks before the trial were hard but I had to stay strong.
(Image: PA)
“I didn’t want people around me, my friends and family, to crumble.
“I just kept it to myself – that’s the way I am.
“Maybe that’s why through my life I’ve kept it to myself and ended up hitting the bottle.”
Gazza – who has a son and two stepchildren from his marriage to Sheryl Gascoigne – was branded a liar in court by prosecutors.
But his lawyers produced images showing him kissing stars and dignitaries down the years – from Princess Diana to Wayne Rooney.
British Transport Police yesterday denied Gazza’s allegation that any officer had asked him for selfies.
