‘I just came out of emergency heart surgery and I’m back on it again’: Gazza’s druggie nephew dies aged 22

PAUL Gascoigne has been left heartbroken by the death of his drug addict nephew.

The body of Jay Kerrigan, 22, was found at a tower block in the early hours.

A pal of footie legend Gazza said: “He is devastated. Jay was a lovely lad.

“He has had a problem with drugs for a while now but was trying his hardest. The family are shattered.”

Gazza opens up about battle with booze

Gazza, who has had his own fair share of addiction problems, was pictured looking bloodied after a drunken relapse earlier this year glen harvey

Jay’s actress mum Anna, 49, is Gazza’s sister. She has spent years supporting the former England star, 48, in his own battles with alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health problems.
In 2008 she made a public plea to fans to stop buying him drinks for fear it would kill him.

Jay lived with Anna, his stepdad Michael, a drummer and band promoter, and sister Harley, 20, in Gateshead. He was working as an admin assistant for environmental charity Groundwork North East.

Messages he posted on Facebook told of his drug battle. In November he wrote: “I’ve done some terrible s**t this year and lost all my friends because of it.”

In January he said: “Addiction is a disease, I was born with it. I haven’t smiled in years, I feel trapped. For heavens sake I’ve just came out of emergency heart surgery and now I’m back on it again.”

The footie legend, who credited The Sun's recent pictures for saving him, is said to be distraught over the loss of his nephew rex

Pals rallied to support him. But just weeks ago he put a long, rambling post on Facebook about drugs and talked about suicide to escape his addiction.

Paramedics were called to Warwick Court, a ten-storey block of flats where tenants pay £85-a-week rent, at 12.30am on Saturday. Jay’s cause of death is not known but police do not believe anyone else is involved.

Last month Gazza was pictured looking battered and bruised after taking a fall during a two-day binge.

He later said the photo in Gidiupdate saved him because it made him realise the state he was in.