Goal.com's Top 50 English Players: Paul Gascoigne (14)

No.18 - Steven Gerrard

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In 1980, when he was 13-years-old, he was snapped up by Newcastle United, and went on to represent the Geordie outfit 107 times; notching up 25 goals during his spell as a Magpie. With a Young Player of the Year gong under his belt by 1988, interest in the stocky hot-shot began to grow. His destination of choice was Liverpool, but Sir Alex Ferguson - who had begun his burgeoning career with Manchester United - was also an avid fan of Paul's. In order to snare Gazza away from Ferguson, Tottenham promised Gascoigne that they would finance a house for his poverty-stricken family. Ferguson found out about the deal while holidaying in Malta. It was to be the last mutual flirtation between Ferguson and Gascoigne as, even though the player was to contact Sir Alex about a move when he was coming to the end of his Lazio tenure, Ferguson brushed the notion off; a decision he was to later claim in his 1999 autobiography Managing My Life as the biggest regret of his managerial career.

In north London, he helped Tottenham to sixth- and third-placed finishes in the Premier League, and then, in the following season, his six goals (including one peach of a free-kick against Arsenal in the semis) had a direct say in the club reaching the FA Cup final. However, in the Wembley showpiece itself, Gascoigne was to only make a cameo appearance, as he injured himself during the initial swordsmanship between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest. Match commentators and print journalists at the time noted ominous signs during the pre-game build-up, as Gazza did not seem in the best mind-set to play in a cup final. That trepidation was to prove right, as his reckless challenges resulted in his own career-threatening injury. A rash tackle on Gary Charles, seemingly a repeat of another poor attempt to win the ball from Garry Parker, ended Gascoigne's participation. He was stretchered off and taken to hospital after rupturing his cruciate ligament.

Gascoigne had already brokered a £5.5 million deal to Lazio prior to the final, but his debut for the Biancocelesti was inevitably delayed considerably due to the severity of his injury.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT Scoring THAT goal at Euro 96

Gascoigne's international career was just as eventful. He made his debut against Denmark in September 1988, and went on to accrue 56 further caps for England. His contributions during the World Cup in 1990 were influential as he became known for his match-changing assists. He was on form against Cameroon, setting up both David Platt and Gary Lineker. Yet another image that would become famed throughout the globe would originate from a Gazza sentiment as he was carded in the semi-final against Germany, meaning he would have missed the World Cup final had England gone on to beat their traditional foes. Realisation of the consequences of the card saw Gazza tearful and emotional, while play continued around him.

He reached his England high during Euro 1996, and scored one of the goals of tournament history, netting a gloriously inventive solo effort against Auld Enemy Scotland. His celebrations were just as notable, as he was given a "dentist's chair" treatment (with water, not alcohol), which was a direct reaction to the press articles dedicated to the England camp's alleged drinking sessions.

Gascoigne was dropped from the Three Lions team in 1998 by Glenn Hoddle, partly due to injuries, partly due to personal problems, partly due to indiscipline. Whatever the reasons, he was never to play for England again.

It was a somewhat fitting end to what could have been an even more glorious testimony to a player who could have ranked as high as the best in football history, regardless of nationality. But Gascoigne proved, unfortunately, to be the ultimate "highs with the lows" man, as his legacy will no doubt be remembered for his tortuous personal life, as much as for his achievements with the ball at his feet.

HONOURS

FA Cup - Tottenham Hotspur; 1991
Scottish League Championship - Rangers; 1996, 1997
Scottish Cup - Rangers; 1996
Scottish League Cup - Rangers; 1997

PFA Young Player of the Year; 1988
BBC Sports Personality of the Year; 1990
World Cup All-Star Team Player; 1990
Scottish Players' Player of the Year; 1996
Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year; 1996
Inducted into English Football Hall of Fame; 2002

DID YOU KNOW ... that Gascoigne's treatment of his best friend, Jimmy "Five Bellies" Gardner is legendary? He once made Five Bellies eat a mince pie that he made, but he scraped out the filling and replaced it with cat excrement.

He also set up Jimmy with a "girl" he knew to be a transvestite. On another occasion, while Gascoigne was in Italy, he wanted to bring Five Bellies over to Rome to visit him, but Gardner stated he was low on cash, so Paul offered to pay for his flight. Little did Gardner know that Gascoigne paid for the most inconvenient flight path, with endless stops in random destinations, in a trip that should have taken hours, but ended up taking days.

Gardner got his own back on Gascoigne one time, though, as Paul lost a £1,000 bet to Jimmy. The bet was if Gardner could withstand a red-hot lighter to the bridge of his nose for five seconds. It turned out that he could.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com

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