I’m an ex-England and Arsenal star – I can’t remember my best moments after drink ruined my life but now I’m in recovery

‘RUINED MY LIFE’

I’m an ex-England and Arsenal star – I can’t remember my best moments after drink ruined my life but now I’m in recovery

ARSENAL legend Kenny Sansom reveals a life-threatening drink problem robbed him of his best footballing memories – but he’s now in recovery.

The former England left-back says booze “ruined my life” but he finally “feels like I’m a dad again”.

Kenny Sansom feels in a good place as he recovers from drink problems

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Kenny Sansom feels in a good place as he recovers from drink problems
Sansom spent eight years with Arsenal and won 86 England caps

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Sansom spent eight years with Arsenal and won 86 England caps

The Sun exclusively told last month how the 86-cap Londoner, 64, was “proud” to walk his daughter down the aisle.

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And he explained to the The Mail how he is putting some shocking low points behind him for more family highs as he continues to get better.

The ex-Crystal Palace hero was in a coma at one stage, unable to eat or drink.

He was diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff and, after he caught pneumonia too, his family were warned he would not be resuscitated if his body failed.

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Before that Sansom would often sleep rough – once estimating he downed nine bottles of wine a day.

But as he rebuilds his life he said: “Sometimes I get the hump with myself, sometimes I feel happy.

“I think April will be three years without a drink – that takes some doing.

“Drink ruined my life – that’s one thing I can say for sure. And I know that now, I physically know it, I’ll never try that again in urs to come.”

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He added: “I can enjoy my kids and my grandkids.

“I can take them to football matches…I can take them wherever they want, when I want. It’s up to me. It’s all I want to do now.”

“I feel like I’m their dad. Whereas before? I was a drunk.”

Sansom was an England fixture at left-back from 1980-1988

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Sansom was an England fixture at left-back from 1980-1988