Last updated 11:36, Thursday, 17 April 2008

MIKE Tyson is the last counsellor fallen football idol Gazza needs right now. What next for heaven’s sake? Amy Winehouse as his social worker?

The former heavyweight champion may believe his own experiences can help Paul Gascoigne recover from the downwards spiral which saw him spending two weeks in hospital for psychiatric treatment.

The advice of a convicted rapist and one time “baddest man on the planet” isn’t what Gazza needs. I don’t pretend to know what makes the troubled ex-player tick, but like many celebrities who have gone off the rails, he’s a victim of indulgence, bad company and too many people who have smiled at his pathetic antics.

It’s unlikely that Gazza can ever live a normal life. But he needs support from grounded people, not the likes of the volatile Tyson for whom this sounds like a publicity stunt to sell tickets for his forthcoming tour.