LAST week, Sir Bobby Robson told The Northern Echo that football could be Paul Gascoigne's salvation.

Mindful of the sad demise of George Best, the former Newcastle and England boss drew parallels between the two and urged the former to learn from the latter's mistakes.

"Football is the only thing he (Gascoigne) knows," said Robson. "Whether he succeeds or not as a manager, only time will tell. But at least he's keeping himself busy as he tries to find out.

"George suffered from that. He dropped out of the game and never got back in.

"For a while, it looked as though that might happen with Paul and that would have been a crying shame. I think everyone who knows Paul is desperate for him to succeed."

Forty-eight hours later, and his words had a poignantly prophetic ring. Not only has Gascoigne dropped out of the game, he has landed on a the floor of a police cell. What happens next is anyone's guess - but whatever comes to pass, it is unlikely to be pretty.

Already this week, the former England international has been sacked for allegedly being drunk at work, been arrested amid accusations of punching a photographer and given a rambling, foul-mouthed interview on national television. Sadly, it is unlikely to be the last we hear from him.

Less than a week after football buried Best, its most famous alcoholic, it is having to acknowledge the downfall of the Irishman's successor.

With his silky skills and on-field arrogance, Gascoigne was one of the few players able to match Best on the pitch. With his weakness for alcohol and tremendous swings in mood, he is also living up to Best's legacy off it.

In many ways, it is difficult to have too much sympathy for his plight. By giving him a start in management, Kettering chairman Imraan Ladak chose to ignore Gascoigne's past misdemeanors and offered him an outlet for his energies.

In Gascoigne's own words, football was all he had ever wanted to do. If he had been able to stay off the booze, he would have been able to have done it.

As it was, he sought solace in drink, with Ladak claiming the former England international had been under the influence of alcohol "before, during and after games".

With his reputation in tatters, it is unlikely he will ever be offered another job in football. Inevitably, he will find that fact hard to live with.

The loneliness and lack of purpose that forced his drinking to escalate as his career came to an end will return with a vengeance. That, in turn, will push him back towards the bottle.

The only solution is to seek professional help. Gascoigne has visited rehabilitation clinics in the past, only to revert to his vice almost as soon as he has passed through the exit door.

This time, it is to be hoped the end result is different. While nobody can force him to seek help, now is the time for his many friends in the game to offer their support. It could also be time for the Premier League, the Football League and the PFA to look at better ways of educating young footballers about the perils of alcohol abuse.

Ultimately, though, redemption must come from within. If Gascoigne needs an inspiration, he should look at the pictures of Best on his death bed.

One of the world's greatest players suffering an undignified and untimely end. It is not too late for Gascoigne to avoid similar suffering.