England and Arsenal hero was left penniless, homeless and sleeping outside Sainsbury's

A former Arsenal and England player was once pictured asleep in a supermarket car park while surrounded by empty bottles after being left penniless and homeless. Kenny Sansom captained the Gunners to silverware in the 1980s and played 86 times for the Three Lions. He previously held the record number of England caps for a defender until he was beaten by Ashley Cole.

After hanging up his boots, Sansom became embroiled in a battle with alcoholism and gambling addiction. Back in 2016, he was the subject of a dramatic 'celebrity intervention' on the Jeremy Kyle Show, where it was revealed that he nearly died after his mother's funeral. A few months later, Sansom was pictured in a fragile state in a supermarket car park.

The former Arsenal left-back was spotted asleep outside a Sainsbury's store alongside empty bottles of white wine. Wearing an unbuttoned white shirt, he slept for around three hours in broad daylight and looked to be in a sorry state.

At the time, one of Sansom's close friends told the Daily Mail that he was at his 'lowest point in years' and needed to be sectioned to protect his mental health.

"He starts drinking again whenever he struggles to deal with his thoughts and feelings," said the friend.

"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 managed to rebuild his life from the ground up after tackling his battle with booze and coming out on top. He is much happier nowadays despite suffering from Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain disorder similar to dementia.

"I played 86 times for England and if I didn't drink, I would have played a lot more," he told the Daily Mail in 2023. "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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