Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who is being treated for alcohol addiction in a United States clinic, has been moved to a hospital intensive care unit but should be able to resume rehabilitation treatment soon, his ex-team-mate Gary Mabbutt said yesterday.

“Unfortunately Paul had a very bad reaction to the detox and the clinic decided that as a precaution it was best to transfer him to hospital... where he went into intensive care so they could monitor him 24/7,” Mabbutt told Sky Sports.

“I spoke to Paul’s medical team this morning here in the UK, they have spoken to Paul and he’s recovering from the situation and hopefully will be back into the clinic soon and continuing with his rehab,” the former Tottenham captain added.

The 45-year-old Gascoigne, who has struggled with alcoholism since playing for clubs including Tottenham, Lazio and Rangers, had travelled to the US willingly for treatment, his management company said last week.

“A lot of the time the media make him out to be a celebrity drunk,” Mabbutt added. “That isn’t the case – Paul has some serious illnesses that have to be addressed.

“He asked for help on Monday and by Monday afternoon he was on a plane out to Arizona to a clinic that specialises in dealing with Paul’s specific problems.”

Former England team-mate Gary Lineker tweeted early yesterday: “Gazza is struggling, Let’s hope he can hang on in there.”