Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne pleads not guilty to sexual assault

London: Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a charge of committing sexual assault on a train and will appear before Teeside Crown Court on Jan. 8.

The 51-year-old, a former Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Lazio player, widely known as Gazza, was arrested at Durham train station in northern England in August and later released while police investigated the incident.

He appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of one count of sexual assault by touching.

Gascoigne elected for a crown court hearing.

Gascoigne, who has spent several spells in rehab battling alcohol and drug addiction, played 57 times for England between 1988 and 1998.