Gascoigne warns troubled Rashford 'don't make the same mistakes as me'

Paul Gascoigne has told troubled Marcus Rashford 'don't make the same mistakes as me' after the England star's '12-hour tequila bender in Belfast.'

Manchester United forward Rashford went on a boozy night out before phoning in sick and missing training, leading to him being dropped for an FA Cup match.

The 26-year-old has reportedly been fined £650,000 for his antics, the equivalent of two weeks' wages.

Gascoigne, one of the most talented footballers England has ever produced, allowed his career to be derailed by drink as he struggled to cope with the limelight.

'I really like Marcus Rashford. He is my favourite England player. But you can tell things are just not right for him right now,' Gascoigne, 56, told the Daily Mirror.

'I would say to him, "Don't make the same mistakes as me". He may need the help of the players around him, the staff to bring him around. Sometimes there are problems outside the game.

'He is a great player, at a great club, playing for his country, and yet he doesn't seem happy.

'Obviously there is an issue with the manager [Erik ten Hag] and he doesn't even celebrate his goals in the same way. He is down, he is getting fined, like I was at Lazio. It is not easy being in the limelight.'

Former Newcastle and Tottenham star Gazza - best remembered for his brilliance for England at Euro '96 and cheeky 'Dentist's Chair' celebration in reference to a drunken night out in Hong Kong - recommended that Rashford gets counselling.

'Even footballers need it sometimes. Marcus is earning a fortune, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, everyone think you do not have a care in the world. But the pressure is not always easy,' he added.

Gascoigne urged Rashford to stop and think about the repercussions of going on a