Former Tottenham Hotspur player Paul Gascoigne has told ITV he will not attend the club's farewell to White Hart Lane because he wants to focus on his heath after suffering "the worst year ever."

Gascoigne, a Spurs and England midfield icon, was one of a host of former players invited to take part in a legends parade after the final White Hart Lane match against Manchester United on Sunday.

He has had spells in rehab for alcohol and drug addiction since retiring from football and said he had struggled since the death of his 22-year-old nephew Jay last year.

"I'm trying to get well again, which I'm doing really well. It's best I focus on me staying well," Gascoigne told the "Good Morning Britain" TV show.

"As long as I just keep working on myself because there's so many fans out there that I don't want to let down. I want to be happy and sober. It's about getting the happiness, getting the balance right.

"I haven't had the best of years. I was doing really well, and then obviously Jay, who had mental problems...

"It was five o'clock in the morning and my dad rang. Before my dad even said anything I said: 'I know he's passed away.' Since then, I've had a terrible year, keeping everything to myself."

Paul Gascoigne has said he is 'trying to get well again.' Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Gascoigne voiced his support for former Spurs player Aaron Lennon, now at Everton, after he was detained under the Mental Health Act with a stress-related illness.

"There's a lot of people out there who have got everything but, inside, they don't share enough," Gascoigne said.

"There needs to be more done, especially with the guys. It's a macho thing. That's the only way of going forward -- by talking about it."

Gascoigne added that he hoped his forthcoming 50th birthday would be a turning point and added: "I'm working on things. I'm writing down the pros and cons -- what's good for me and what's not good for me, and that's important."