Footie legend Paul Gascoigne attacked and hit in the face as he bravely tackled burglars at a neighbour’s home
Former Tottenham and England footballer hospitalised after attempting to heroically stop break-in a neighbour's home
PAUL Gascoigne was attacked and beaten when he tackled burglars at a neighbour’s home.
The troubled former England star had spotted two crooks trying to break into a flat near his seaside home.
Gazza, 49, saw the pair from his balcony but when he went to confront them, one of the raiders whacked him in the face.
The ex-Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder fell and injured his wrist.
The burglars fled empty-handed.
Gazza was taken to hospital in an ambulance after being checked over by paramedics.
The attempted burglary was in the early hours of Easter Monday in the upmarket neighbourhood near Poole, Dorset.
A source said: “Without a second thought he intervened and stopped them breaking in.
"He got hit in the face then injured his wrist.
"The two men then scarpered pretty quickly.
“He was worried about his flat being empty so discharged himself out of hospital and went home pretty much straight away.
“He didn’t have to step in but he was real hero in doing so. But it really shook him up.”
A Dorset Police spokesman said: “We were called at 2.22am on Monday April 17 to reports of a burglary at an address in Poole.
"Police attended, however no offences were identified.”
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Gazza, who helped England reach the Euro 96 semi-finals, has fought a booze addiction since hanging up his boots 13 years ago.
He fractured his skull when he was kicked down a staircase in an East London hotel in December.
But he has been on the mend in the past few months, battling his demons following a spell in rehab in January.
The Sun showed him looking a picture of health while house hunting two weeks ago.