PAUL 'GAZZA' GASCOIGNE
Regarded as a generational talent, and one of the best playmakers in the global game, Gazza is widely recognised as the most naturally talented English footballer ever.
His colourful career and cheeky persona led to public adoration across the 90's - known as Gazzamania. Here, we take a look back at the incredible career of Gazza.
Born 27 May 1967, Paul John Gascoigne was raised in the Tyne & Wear town of Gateshead, North East England. Named in tribute to two of the Beatles - Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
Paul attended Breckenbeds Junior High School and Heathfield Senior High School, both within Gateshead. Playing for Gateshead Boys, Paul was noticed be several football scouts. Trials with Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough and Southampton proved unsuccessful. Then, the club he supported - Newcastle United, signed him as a schoolboy in 1980.
Once described by, Newcastle Manager at the time, Jack Charlton as "a bit chubby", Gascoigne looked anything like a footballer whilst signed to the Newcastle youth shide. He regualrly ate Mars bars and other junk food. However, Charlton wasn't overly concerned as he understood that the extra weight would give Paul extra strength on the pitch. He also noted that Gascoigne showed early signs of being gaffe-prone and a prankster.
After becoming more concerned, Charlton warend Gascoigne about his junk food diet and gave him an ultimatum. Paul had two weeks to lose the extra weight. Gascoigne chose to train for ten days wrapped in a black bin bag!
A MERCURIAL HOMETOWN TALENT
Having captained Newcastle United's youth team to the FA Youth Cup in the 1984-85 season, scoring twice in the 4-1 final victory over Watford, Gascoigne made his first-team debut on 13 April 1985 at St. James' Park.
At the age of 18, Paul signed a two-year £120 a week contract at Newcastle, with the club also having a further two-year option clause.
Jack Charlton departed at the end of the 1984-85 season, replaced by Willie McFaul who named Gascoigne in his starting line-up from the opening game of the 1985-86 campaign - taking the place of Chris Waddle who had been sold to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.
Pauls' first goal at home came against Oxford United in a 3-0 victory on 21 September 1985. A further eight goals followed in the 1985-86 season.
In 1988, during an interview segment on the BBC programme Football Focus, Newcastle's all-time top goalscorer, Jackie Milburn, stated that Gascoigne was "the best player in the world".
Paul was named PFA Young Player of the Year and listed on the PFA Team of the Year in the 1987-88 season, scoring 5 goals in 24 games.
With many suitors, paired with unrest and instability at Newcastle, Gascoigne was hot property. Having held talks with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, Gascoigne then signed for Tottenham Hotspur for a British record transfer fee of £2.2 million. Paul received a £100,000 signing-on fee, of which he spent £70,000 buying property for his mother and father.
". . . the best player in the world"
Jackie Milburn, speaking about Gazza on BBC Football Focus in 1988
LONDON CALLING
Paul arrived in North London with a growing reputation. In his first season at White Heart Lane, he helped Terry Venables' Spurs to sixth in the First Division - scoring 7 goals in 37 games. In the following 1989-90 season, they rose to third place.
Having made his full England debut under Bobby Robson on 14 September 1988, Paul went on to score his first international goal against Albania at Wembley on 26 April 1989 during a 5-0 win. Paul's first start came against Chile in the following game and he kept his place for most matches leading up to the World Cup in 1990.
On 26 September 1990, Paul scored four goals in a 5-0 victory against Hartlepool United in the second round of the Football League Cup. Named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1990, Gascoigne remarked "I haven't won anything in the game as yet. But the World Cup did help put England on the map." Gascoigne was also named as the club's Player of the Year in the same season.
Reaching the FA Cup Final in 1990-91 after scoring one of the best ever free-kick's at Wembley Stadium in the semi-final against arch-rivals Arsenal, Paul tore his cruciate ligaments after only 15 minutes against Nottingham Forest. Spurs went on to win the Cup, but Gascoigne would not play again for another year.
It was an injury which would have serious ramifications for Paul who had once again been named in the season's PFA Team of the Year. With Tottenham under significant financial strain, a deal had been struck and personal terms agreed with Italian club Lazio. This would be a transfer saga that would dominate the national news throughout 1991 with Paul eventually joining the Rome club in 1992.
" he was challenging maradona as the best player in the world at that time."
Bryan Robson, speaking about Gazza when asked about the 1990 World Cup
TEARS IN TURIN
After impressing in his early England career Gascoigne went to the Italia '90 World Cup having never started a competitive International game.
Paul played all three of group games as England ran out Group F winners. Having assisted Mark Wright's winning goal against Egypt, Gazza chalked up another assist in the first knockout game - chipping a free-kick into the penalty area for David Platt to volley home against Belgium.
Gascoigne's fanatical fanbase was at fever pitch - 'Gazzamania' was born. A quarter-final clash with Cameroon awaited next. After giving away a penalty which Cameroon successfully converted, Paul made amends by playing a through-ball to Gary Lineker in extra-time from which Lineker won and scored the match-winning penalty.
4th July 1990 went down in history as a "where were you" moment in world football. England played West Germany in the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin. Having previously been booked against Belgium in the earlier game, Gazza went in for a poorly timed tackle on Thomas Bethold. A yellow card would follow - meaning Paul would be suspended for the World Cup final should England beat the West Germans. TV camera's panned to Gascoigne with tears in his eyes, instantly making him a hugely popular figure with the sympathetic British public.
As it happened, England lost the semi-final in a dramtic penalty shootout with Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle both missing their penalties.
" Out of everything in my career, the moment people ask me about most often was when Gazza got booked in that semi-final."
Gary Lineker, speaking about Gazza's yellow card in the World Cup semi-final
WHEN IN ROME . . .
After over a year of waiting, Paul made his Lazio debut on 27 September 1992 in a match against Genoa. Such was the interest in following Gascoigne's career, the match was televised on British TV too.
It was a difficult start to life in Italy for Paul, beset by recurring negative media - not helped by punching several local news reporters and belching down a microphone!
Gascoigne was however well received by the club's supporters and endeared himself to the Eagles fans when he scored in the 89th minute to equalise in the Rome derby against AS Roma.
Breaking his cheek bone while on International duty in 1993, Paul had to play the remaining games of the season in a distinctive mask. His first season ended with Lazio finishing fifth, qualifying for Europe for the first time in 16 years.
Scoring a total of 6 goals in 43 appearances, Gascoigne played a further two seasons with the Rome club - albeit 1994-95 was another frustrating season of injuries with Paul breaking his leg in April 1994.
" He ate ice cream for breakfast, he drank beer for lunch . . . but a player? oh, beautiful, beautiful."
Ex-Lazio Manager Dino Zoff, speaking about Gazza during his time with the club
SCOTTISH SUCCESS
During the early Summer of 1995, Gascoigne had a visit at his Italian countryside home from Walter Smith, the then Rangers manager. Not long after, Gascoigne agreed to join the Scottish giants in July 1995 for a club record fee of £4.5 million.
It wasn't long before the Gers' fans got to see the best of Gazza. In only his fifth league game, Paul ran almost the full length of Celtic Park to get onto a pass for a breakaway goal. This led to the only match that title-rivals Celtic would lose in the whole season. Rangers would go on to win the title, with Gascoigne scoring a hat-trick in the penultimate game against Aberdeen at Ibrox Stadium.
With a 5-1 victory over Hearts at Hampden Park, Rangers went on to complete the domestic double. Paul ended the season with 19 goals in 42 appearances, earning him both the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year awards.
Rangers would go on to win back-to-back domestic doubles in 1996-97, winning the title for a ninth time in succession and picking up the Scottish League Cup. Paul, scoring hat-tricks against both Kilmarnock and Motherwell would end the campaign with an impressive 17 goals in 34 games.
Despite this success, the 1997-98 was less successful. Paul's campaign saw a five-game ban after being sent off for violent conduct during a fiery Old Firm derby, a £20,000 fine from Rangers for a controversial goal celebration and a death-threat from an IRA member. Having scored 3 goals in 28 games, Gazza was sold to Middlesbrough before the end of the season.
" . . . does he deserve his place in the Scotland hall of fame? you're joking, 100% he does."
Ally McCoist, speaking about Gazza during an interview in 2018
NATIONAL HERO
England's home European Championships provided another iconic moment in the illustrious career of Gazza.
Starting with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland - a game in which Paul was substituted, the tournament burst into life with a game at Wembley against the old foes, Scotland. Receiving a ball from Darren Anderton outside the Scotland penalty area, he chipped the ball over Colin Hendry with his left foot and changed direction; as the ball dropped Gascoigne volleyed it past Andy Goram with his right foot to seal a 2-0 victory.
The goal was incredible, but it was the celebration which was iconic. Laying on the Wembley turf, head aloft, Gascoigne was sprayed with the contents of the nearest Lucozade bottle into his open mouth. The "Dentist's Chair" celebration - referring to an incident inside a Hong Kong nightclub shortly before the tournament started.
England went on to beat the Netherlands 4-1 in the final group game before a penalty shootout win against Spain. Gazza converted the last of the England penalties.
In a replay of the Italia '90 semi-final, England once again lost to Germany in a penalty shootout, but not before Gazza had come agonisingly close to connecting with an Alan Shearer cross to tap in to an unguarded German net to win the tie.
BACK IN THE NORTH-EAST
Paul joined Middlesbrough in March 1998 for a fee of £3.45 million. A move which would see him link up with former England team-mate Bryan Robson again, this time as his Manager.
Gascoigne's debut was the 1998 Football League Cup final - a defeat to Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, where he was introduced as a substitute. Playing seven games in the First Division, Paul helped Boro into the Premier League, finishing second in the league behind Nottingham Forest.
The 1998-99 season started well with Middlesbrough climbing to fourth in the Premier League pre-Christmas before falling to ninth at the end of the season. Scoring three goals in 26 top-flight games, Gascoigne was linked with a recall to the England national team - then maaged by former Newcastle teammate Kevin Keegan.
The 1999-2000 season was a further season hampered by injury for Paul. After breaking his arm in a challenge with opponent George Boateng during a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Gazza's Boro career came to an abrupt end.
" the best player I've ever played with . . . he had everything. he was amazing."
Ex-England and Middlesbrough team-mate Paul Ince, speaking about Gazza
THE END OF AN ERA
The latter part of Paul's career started with signing as a free transfer for Everton on a two-year contract in 2000, managed by former Rangers boss Walter Smith.
After 32 appearances and his last professional goal in the English game - away to Bolton Wanderers on 3 November 2001, Gazza suffered a hernia injury which kept him out for three months and ended his Everton career.
Short stints with Burnley FC, Gansu Tianma in China, and Boston United drew the final curtain on Gazza's glittering career.
In 2002, Paul was inducted to the National Football Museum, being described as "the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his generation".
Gazza: The Early Days
"... Gazza won the hearts of the British nation for his performances in the 1980’s and 1990’s and is responsible for some of the most memorable moments in football history."
An Englishman in Rome
"... Gazza went down in Eagles folklore with his 89th-minute equaliser in the derby against AS Roma."
The Dentist's Chair
"... as the ball dropped, Gascoigne volleyed the ball passed his club team mate Andy Goram into the net to put England 2-0 and send Cool Britannia into over drive."
