The former England defender Kenny Sansom has entered a detox programme and will be given the support he needs to beat alcoholism and a gambling addiction, the Professional Footballers’ Association has said.

Sansom won 86 England caps between 1979 and 1988, including appearances at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and the 1988 European Championship, and played more than 300 times for Arsenal having joined from Crystal Palace, where he broke into the first team at the age of 16.

The 56-year-old recently revealed he had contemplated suicide after becoming homeless because of his drinking and gambling problems.His battle with alcoholism is well documented, described in depth in his 2008 autobiography, To Cap It All … My Story, and Sansom recently told the Sunday Mirror how he would gamble his £622 monthly pension from the PFA before drinking himself to sleep, often in the parks around Bromley in south-east London.

The PFA’s head of player welfare Michael Bennett confirmed the union had now taken formal steps to help Sansom get the support he needed, with close links to establishments such as the Sporting Chance clinic, founded by ex-Arsenal defender Tony Adams.

Bennett said: “It has been a bit of a vicious circle for Kenny, and the PFA as a union is there for him and always will be there for him.We are fully aware he has gambling and drinking addictions going on, and we know they are both illnesses with which he needs help. We are happy to help him with that.

“What he is going through is hard, but at the same time he needs to want to get better himself, which he seems to want to do. We have services in place and are happy to help Kenny move forwards.

“Kenny will be undertaking a detox programme from today, and will be for two weeks. Then we will look to see where he is at and go from there. We are on the case to get him the help he needs and will continue to do that.”

Arsenal have in the past employed Sansom to help on guided tours at the Emirates Stadium, while last season Palace also gave him work as a matchday ambassador and will continue to extend an open offer of support should their former player ask for it.