According to Metro, 54-year-old former Gunners left-back, Kenny Sansom has been sleeping in the park after becoming homeless. With his playing days well behind him, the former England international Sansom has developed a drinking and gambling addiction which has rendered him penniless.

Sansom, who was capped 86 times by England, held the record for the highest number of caps earned by a full-back until being overtaken by Ashley Cole a couple of years ago. It has been a sad downward spiral for the Englishman, who has now revealed that he’s been sleeping on the streets due to his lifestyle.

He said, “I have been living homeless for ten days, that’s because I’ve got no money, I’m a drunk, I’m not feeling very well and I’m a gambler. I’ve been living on the street. I am just a drunk. I drink as much as I can get.”

The Gunners are looking to come to the aid of their former star player and they, along with the Professional Footballers’ Association, will try and support Samson so that he can start to lead a better life. A spokesperson for Arsenal said, “We are aware of Kenny Sansom’s situation and have been providing him with ongoing support and guidance.”

Even though the exact details of how Arsenal plan to help Samson has not been revealed, it is really good news for the once-footballer to see his old club ready to support him with his current battle.

Samson had worked as pundit after his playing days but has had spells in rehab during his time out of the game.

In his heyday, he started his career with Crystal Palace in the third division before he moved on to Highbury for a total of eight years where he won the 1987 Littlewood’s Cup, becoming England’s first-choice left-back in the process. He has also played for the likes of Newcastle, QPR, Coventry, Everton, Brentford and Watford.

He also represented his country in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, as well as the 1988 European Championships. Hopefully with the assistance of the FA and Arsenal FC Sansom can get the help he needs to arrest the terrible diesease of addiction and start to rebuild a life for himself with sobriety at the core of it.