Paul Gascoigne has been rushed to hospital after collapsing at home

Foster - who also works as Gascoigne's driver and personal assistant - said in a statement: "[Gascoigne] would like to thank everyone for the support he's received so far from so many old friends who wish him well and want to see him back to his best ... "

He added: "Paul is in hospital, which is the best possible place for him to be right now."

Gascoigne is believed to be out of danger and is expected to remain in hospital for several days.

The former England player has spent years battling health issues as well as enduring a long struggle with alcohol addiction.

The health scare comes just weeks after Gascoigne told The Mirror newspaper he feels "better now than I have in years", adding: "'I hope I am at a point that I can look back over everything I've gone through with a different, more positive, perspective.

"After so many years in the spotlight, I feel like it's time people got to know the real me."

Gascoigne was speaking ahead of the release of his new book Eight, which is due to hit shelves in the autumn.

The tome - named after the shirt number he wore when playing for English club Tottenham Hotspur - is described as being "honest, raw, moving and ultimately uplifting" with the former footballer telling his life story with "unflinching" honesty.

It comes 20 years after he released his previous autobiography My Story back in 2005.

Gascoigne won 57 England caps during his professional career and also played for clubs including Newcastle United, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and SS Lazio.

However, his sporting achievements came to be overshadowed by his turbulent personal life in recent years which included numerous arrests and a stint in rehab, as well as an acrimonious divorce from his wife Sheryl in 1998.