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LONDON (Reuters) - Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne has revealed his heart stopped beating three times while in rehab and that he also came close to committing suicide during his battle with depression and alcoholism.

Gascoigne, who will be 42 in May, told Sky News on Monday how last year's rumours that he had died were closer to the truth than many realised.

"My heart failed on us (me) a few times," he said, adding that he was revived by medics on each occasion.

The former Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers and Everton player, who won 57 caps for England from 1988 to 1998, also described his attempted suicide.

"In the bath yes, it's the easy way out they say, you know, take a few sleeping tablets, nice little warm bath and have a few drinks and just drop. I had just had enough, I had had enough of everything," he said.

"I rang my sister just to say, I am going to run a bath. I think she might have had a clue, I don't know if it was a plea for help but I did have enough anyway so I wasn't bothered.

"And I just said, look I am in the bath and I will always love you, or something like that, and put the phone down.

"I lay in the bath and just felt myself dropping off and I remember just getting ready, like dozing off and then the police burst in. About six police dragged us (me) out of the bath."

The interview, in the company of his father, sister Lindsay and two young nephews shows Gascoigne playing football on the beach with nephews Cameron and Joe, saying: "No-one is ever going to be as good as I was."

Looking fit and healthy with his hair dyed blond, Gascoigne also said that treatment at the Sporting Chance clinic founded by former England team mate Tony Adams and his new-found faith in God were helping him fight his illness.

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