The recovering alcoholic was taken into custody after the alleged incident in South Kensington, west London, in which a 43-year-old man claimed he had been assaulted.

A spokeswoman for London's Metropolitan Police said officers were called at about 3:40am (0340 GMT) by the man who said he had been attacked in a local nightclub.

"Following inquiries, a 39-year-old man was arrested at a separate club nearby at 4:15am on suspicion of actual bodily harm and is currently in custody at a southwest London police station," she said.

Sources said that the victim is not thought to have required hospital treatment after the alleged attack.

The 57-times capped Gascoigne, who numbered Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio, Rangers and Everton among his clubs, has struggled to gain a foothold as a football manager in recent years.

He was sacked from one job amid drinking claims, though he denies that was the case and has since had offers of help from the Professional Footballers' Association to get back into management.