Paul Gascoigne comes clean on 'black and blue' night with ex-wife Sheryl

Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has candidly discussed the night he physically assaulted his ex-wife Sheryl, admitting that their marriage was a "mistake." The 1996 incident occurred at a hotel in Perthshire, where he headbutted and pushed her over, resulting in her leaving with a bandaged hand.

After just one year of marriage, Sheryl filed for divorce, and the former Tottenham midfielder paid her a settlement of £700,000 plus monthly maintenance payments of £10,000. Despite their brief marriage, she stood by him when he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in 2008.

In a new book, he has shed light on the violent altercation, which made headlines in the Daily Mirror as 'GAZZA BEATS SHERYL BLACK AND BLUE.'

The excerpt, serialised by the Daily Mail, read: "Just three months into our marriage, in October 1996, the disharmony between us erupted into a terrible episode I will regret for the rest of my life. We were on a break at The Gleneagles Hotel close to Perth with the kids."

"I started to argue with Sheryl over something stupid while we were in the restaurant. She went upstairs to the room, and I followed her there and put my head against hers. Instinctively, I pushed her away from me, throwing her to the floor.

"'F*** off', I told her. As she landed she hurt her hand, and cried out in agony. I knew I'd truly messed up and once she'd calmed down, I left - there was nothing left for me to do or say.

"A few days later, the headline on the Daily Mirror's front page read 'GAZZA BEATS SHERYL BLACK AND BLUE,' and there were pictures of Sheryl outside the hotel, with her arm in a sling.

"It's only fair I mention that Sheryl's recollection of what happened is very different from my own. Regardless, I will always be sorry for the pain I caused Sheryl that night, and I am sure a lot of people will believe I fully deserved what happened next."

Gascoigne also revealed that rival football fans regularly chanted, "Wife beater, wife beater" when it was reported. He confessed it cast a "dark shadow" over his life and that the pair "were never quite the same again, despite brief spells of reconciliation."

He also admitted he felt their marriage was a mistake, with regrets kicking in while they were exchanging their vows. Gascoigne further added: "In July 1996, the month after I was part of the England team knocked out of the Euros by Germany, Sheryl and I had a lavish wedding at Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire.

"It cost £150,000, a lot of money back then, but the whole thing was covered by the rights we sold to Hello! magazine.

"Facing Sheryl at the altar of the chapel in front of all our family and friends, including England team-mates David Seaman, Paul Ince, Chris Waddle, Ian Wright and pals Danny Baker and Chris Evans, was terrifying.

"The very instant we made our vows to each other, I knew I'd made a mistake. Straight away, I felt trapped, but it was too late. I just had to make the best of the situation and put on a brave face."