Sunderland, England  - Former England star Paul Gascoigne has opened up on a life of addiction and violence in an interview to be broadcast on Sky TV on Monday.

In a startlingly frank performance, Gascoigne admitted that his heart stopped three times during rehab for alcohol addiction, explained the circumstances behind his violence to his ex-wife, and spoke of feeling "used" by his son Regan.

Gascoigne was an outstanding midfielder who came to global prominence during the 1990 World Cup, when he followed a string of sensational performances by weeping in the semi-final against West Germany after being shown a yellow card that would have kept him out of the final had England not lost the subsequent penalty shoot-out.

But there was always a self-destructive side to his character, and a career that took him from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur to Italy's Lazio was littered with bar brawls, fitness problems, injuries, and moments of wildness.

The public was largely supportive, until the allegations that he had beaten his ex-wife Sheryl.

"If you are sitting in a restaurant and somebody calls your mam a whore, which she did, and for no reason, I don't like that and yes, I got a hold of her arms and I did put my head against her head," Gascoigne explained.

"I didn't head butt her but I threw her to the floor and yes I was disgusted with myself for what I did.

"I went to therapy; I sat with 15-20 women and told them exactly what I did ... I got hammered but I went through this course and it is the one thing I ever did in my life and that was it and I get hammered for it."

His relationship with his son Regan was also difficult.

"I have drove down to be with my son and he takes us ("us" is used for "me" in north-eastern dialect) to the school and shows them obviously this is my dad," he said.

"And I went to assembly and then I sign everything for the kids, and then see, that is it proved to everyone that I am his dad, and then he goes back home and that leaves me, I don't know, I feel like I am being used by my own son here."

He admitted that during the worst of his alcoholism his children were "scared" of him, but the programme also showed him enjoying a kickabout on the beach with them.

The 41-year-old also acknowledged that at one point he was drinking 30 cans of strong lager every day.

"I can be around it now because all I have got to do is remember my last drink," Gascoigne said.

"If I remember my last drink, which I can't, well I sort of can, getting fed with a spoon because I had the shakes that bad.

"My heart failed on us a few times."

He also spoke of his attempts to end his own life.

"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, and I run the bath and I lay in the bath and just felt myself dropping off and I remember just getting ready, like dozing off you know and then the police burst in.

"About six police dragged us out of the bath."

Gascoigne said his religious beliefs helped him in his attempt to stop drinking.

"I just thank him for today you know, if I don't drink I just say thanks, thanks for not letting me have a drink today," he said. (dpa)