A former England icon was left sleeping rough in a supermarket car park by his alcohol addiction
Kenny Sansom was once pictured sleeping in a Sainsbury’s car park(Image: GETTY)
Former Arsenal and England star Kenny Sansom was once pictured sleeping in a supermarket car park after being left penniless and homeless by his alcohol addiction. Sansom, who led the Gunners to a League Cup victory in 1987 and earned 86 caps for the Three Lions, held the record for the most England appearances by a defender until Ashley Cole surpassed him.
Following his retirement in 1994, Sansom suffered from alcoholism and gambling addiction. In 2016, he featured in a dramatic ‘celebrity intervention’ on the Jeremy Kyle Show, where it was revealed that he nearly lost his life following his mother’s funeral.
A few months later, Sansom was photographed in a vulnerable state in a supermarket car park. The legendary Arsenal left-back was seen sleeping outside a Sainsbury’s store next to empty wine bottles. Wearing an unbuttoned white shirt, he slept for around three hours in broad daylight.
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At the time, a close friend of Sansom’s told the Daily Mail that he was at his “lowest point in years” and needed to be sectioned for the sake of his mental health.
They reportedly said: “He starts drinking again whenever he struggles to deal with his thoughts and feelings.
READ MORE: ‘Joining Arsenal made me feel like an impostor – I confided in my dad over fears’READ MORE: Kenny Sansom opens up on attack that left him in a coma amid his battle with booze
“He’s never addressed the death of his mother years ago, his dad wasn’t around, and he feels like he went from being one of England’s best ever defenders to a no-one almost overnight.
“He knows he needs help and admits that but refuses to talk to a counsellor. Unless he does, the drink is going to kill him.”
Four years later, Sansom was left fighting for his life in hospital after being attacked while in a ‘vulnerable’ state. He spent 18 days in a coma and had to learn how to walk, talk and eat all over again.
Sansom has since been able to rebuild his life after confronting his struggles with alcohol and emerging victorious. He is reportedly much happier these days despite living with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain condition resembling dementia.
He told the Mail in 2023: “I played 86 times for England and if I didn’t drink, I would have played a lot more. I’d love to be able to help people who drink, to tell them my story, tell them what it does to you.
“What do you say to someone who drinks? It’s very difficult but I’d like to help. It messes people up and it makes you a fool. I’m meant to be funny, I’d tell a good joke every now and then. I don’t think they’re funny anymore.
“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.
“Once I started drinking, oh dear, it was a nightmare. Drink drove me crazy. The more I drunk, the more I liked it. If I was sitting in a bar, I’d drink six bottles of wine. It’s bloody crazy.”
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