PAUL Gascoigne needs to fight his inner demons before returning to football, according to former Burnley captain Steve Davis.

Gascoigne now finds himself back on the soccer scrapheap following his sacking as Kettering manager after just 39 days, amid allegations of drinking while in charge of the Conference North side.

But Clarets legend Davis, who played alongside Gazza during the former England midfielder's torrid spell at Turf Moor towards the end of the 2001/02 season, believes there has to be a role somewhere in the game for such a natural talent -- if he can battle back from his latest crisis.

"It's clear to everyone that Paul Gascoigne wears his heart on his sleeve," said Davis, who recently returned to Burnley as assistant scout. "He is very passionate about the game and he feels he is doing the best he can, but for whatever reason things seem to be getting the better of him again.

"I think there has to be a place somewhere, in some capacity, for people like Paul. He has to get his problems under control, but if he can do that he get back in some capacity. He simply has to give something back to the game because it's all he knows. Not being involved is not going to help him."

Gascoigne's troubles emerged in the week that football said an emotional goodbye to fallen idol George Best, whose years of heavy drinking finally took its toll when he died, aged just 59.

And Davis believes that, like Best, living under the constant microscope of media attention has not helped Gascoigne on or off the pitch since his days as one of the world's great players ended.

"You really have to feel for Paul," added Davis. "He will always fight his corner because football is all he believes in. It's meant everything to him for 20 years, but in recent years you feel there are people just waiting for him to keep tripping up.

"The attention has been a constant factor and Paul has always been under massive stress. I can't help feeling the best thing all round is for Paul to walk away from the current situation."