Paul Gascoigne

At 56 years old, Paul Gascoigne has this physical status:

Club career

Gascoigne captained Newcastle United's youth team to the FA Youth Cup in 1984-85, scoring twice against Watford in the final at Vicarage Road. They lost 0–0 in the first leg of the final. Newcastle were unexpectedly poor in the first leg, according to teammate Joe Allon, but Newcastle's victory in the second leg was largely due to Gascoigne's contribution. Jack Charlton told Gascoigne he would be in the first team against Norwich City next day. Gascoigne did travel to Norwich, but Charlton didn't bother to choose him. In a 1–0 victory over Queens Park Rangers on April 13, 1985 at St James' Park, Gascoigne made his first-team debut as a replacement for George Reilly. Charlton later stated that Gascoigne's first-team appearances under him were too short to indicate that he was more than a competent performer. Gascoigne signed a two-year £120 a week deal at Newcastle, as well as a new two-year option clause. Charlton requested that around half of Gascoigne's salary be paid into a bank account for him to be collected in a lump sum at the end of his first stint, noting Gascoigne's generous nature.

Willie McFaul was appointed as manager for the 1985-86 season, and Gascoigne was named in his starting lineup from the start of the season; he took his place of Chris Waddle, who had been sold to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. In a 3–0 victory over Oxford United on September 21, 1985, he scored his first goal and claimed eight more goals in the 1985–86 campaign. Newcastle finished 11th in the First Division this season, and Gascoigne was on the front page of the Rothmans Football Yearbook at the end of it. In 24 league games in the 1986-87 season, he scored 5 goals in 24 games, just three points behind the relegation play-offs.

Gascoigne was "the best player in the world" in 1988, according to Newcastle's then all-time top scorer Jackie Milburn, who was on BBC programme Football Focus. Vinnie Jones, a hard-man, singled him out for concern, and Jones grabbed him by the genitals as Gascoigne screamed in agony in a 0–0 draw with Wimbledon at Plough Lane in February 1988. In the 1987–88 season, he was named as the PFA Young Player of the Year and listed on the PFA Team of the Year. However, his time at Newcastle coincided with a period of uprising and instability at the club, causing the club to be unable to sustain such a talented young player. Alex Ferguson told him that he will sign for Manchester United. Ferguson went on holiday to Malta in the hopes of securing Gascoigne. Gascoigne had signed for Tottenham Hotspur for a historic British fee of £2.2 million on his holiday. Ferguson wrote about Gascoigne's wooing into Spurs after they bought a house for his impoverished family. Gascoigne in his autobiography claims that after being given his £100,000 signing on fee, he spent £70,000 on his mother and father.

Gascoigne helped Terry Venables' Tottenham Hotspur to sixth place in the First Division in his first season at White Hart Lane, scoring 7 goals in 37 appearances. They came to third place in 1989-90, but they were still 16 points behind champions Liverpool. In a 5–0 victory over Hartlepool United in the second round of the 1990–91 Football League Cup, he scored four goals on September 26th. In 1990, he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, but on accepting the award, he said: "I haven't won anything in the game as yet." However, the World Cup did help to put England on the map. He was also named Player of the Year by the club.

Gascoigne was named on the PFA Team of the Year in the 1990-1991 season, winning over Blackpool, Oxford United, Portsmouth, Notts County, and North London derby rivals Arsenal. He scored the first goal of the 3-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley with a free-kick, one of six goals he scored in the tournament. Spurs at this point in history were also under intense financial strain with a massive £10 million debt. Spurs were tethering themselves to significant debt, they recruited Nat Solomon, a financial advisor. Solomon argued that Gascoigne should be sold to Lazio to avoid the vultures being in danger. Spurs had no hesitation in accepting Lazio and Gascoigne's invitation to join the Italian club when they reached the final. Tottenham Hotspur's transfer fee will be £8.5 million. His final was supposed to be over due to injury, but about 15 minutes into the game, he committed a dangerous knee-high foul on Gary Charles and tore his own cruciate ligaments in his right knee. Stuart Pearce of England scored from the resultant free-kick, and Gascoigne subsequently collapsed after the game, prompting him to leave the match on a stretcher. Tottenham Hotspur claimed the Cup in extra time.

He missed the entire 1991–92 season as he recovered, suffering a new knee injury in late 1991, when a nightclub in Tyneside kept him out for much longer. The saga surrounding Gascoigne's planned transfer to Lazio dominated the tabloid press during 1991, often overshadowing the main national news of the day, including the downturn and rise in unemployment that followed – although most mainstream newspapers kept reports about Gascoigne restricted to their back pages.

Gascoigne later joined Lazio for £5.5 million (equivalent to £12.11 million in 2021); he was paid a £2 million signing-on fee and agreed to a contract worth £22,000 a week. In a match against Genoa that was televised in the United Kingdom and Italy, he made his Serie A debut on September 27th. He struggled to fully settle in Italy and was beset by negative media interest, which was not aided by the numerous times he assaulted journalists and the time when he was handed a microphone on live television. He was well received by the club's fans, but not by manager Sergio Cragnotti, who resented him after Gascoigne greeted him by saying "Tote fieglia, big tits" (roughly translated as "Your daughter, big tits"). His form was average in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, but he endeared himself to Eagles fans when he scored in the 89th minute to equalize against A.S. Roma, who was injured. When he was on international service in April 1993, he broke his cheekbone and was forced to play the remaining games of the season in a mask. Lazio's campaign came to an end in fifth place, which was considered a success because it paved the way for European competition for the first time in 16 years.

He was badly off form before the 1993–94 season, and by then's watchdog Dino Zoff warned him to lose two stone (13 kg) by the start of the season or lose his first-team job. Gascoigne began losing the excess fat after embarking on a strict weight loss regimen. Zoff, who was seriously wounded, told Gascoigne that he should go on holiday to recuperate. Gascoigne told Zoff that he did not want to go on holiday. Gascoigne returned from holiday with a hefty backpack, much to the delight of the Lazio fitness workers. "I told you not to send me on holiday, Signor Zoff," Gascoigne said to Zoff when he spoke to him about his weight. When regular captain Roberto Cravero was suspended, he captained the team against Cremonese.

Zdenk Zeman came from Foggia to coach Lazio and Gascoigne in 1994. Zeman, a coach, was known for his use of his whistle in training sessions. Zeman misplaced his whistle and found it when a goose who was frequenting the Lazio training ground was seen sporting it for one session. Pierluigi Casiraghi later ruled that Gascoigne was the perpetrator who sparked Zeman's whistle on the goose. He broke his leg in preparation in April 1994 while training to face Alessandro Nesta. He was dissatisfied with Zeman's stern fitness regiment, and both club and player decided to part ways at the end of the 1994–95 season.

He said, 'What is it you're wanting?'

Gascoigne signed for Rangers in July 1995 for a club record fee of £4.3 million on £4.3 million per week, on wages of £15,000 a week. He made an immediate impact: In the Fifth League game of the 1995–96 season, the Old Firm's match at Celtic Park, he scored a goal after running almost the entire length of the field to get to the end of a breakaway; this was the only match lost by championship opponents Celtic during the campaign. Referee Dougie Smith called Gascoigne on December 30 after picking Smith's yellow card up from the ground and jokingly 'booking' the referee during a match against Hibernian. Rangers won the Scottish Premier Division, clinching the title against Aberdeen at Ibrox Stadium in the penultimate game of the season; Gascoigne scored a hat-trick, with two solo goals. Rangers won the Scottish Cup by knocking out Celtic before beating Heart of Midlothian 5-1 in the final at Hampden Park. He scored 19 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions, and was named both PFA Scotland Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year.

In 1996–97, Rangers claimed the league championship for the ninth time in a row. Gascoigne scored hat-tricks against Kilmarnock and Motherwell, and concluded the season with 17 goals in 34 games. However, Gascoigne's dependence on alcohol became increasingly worried during this season, according to manager Walter Smith and his associate Archie Knox. The Gers won their second double by winning the Scottish League Cup alongside Hearts 4–3 in the final at Celtic Park, with Gascoigne scoring twice and Ally McCoist claiming the other two goals.

Gennaro Gattuso, a young Italian player, joined Rangers in 1997. Gascoigne welcomed him to Ibrox, who defecated in Gattuso's sock as a prank. Gascoigne would also buy Gattuso's club suits under the pretense that Rangers were paying for them; Gattuso was discovered out several months later that it was Gascoigne who had secretly paid the bill. Gascoigne was banned from playing violent behaviour during the Old Firm's derby in November 1997 after being suspended for violent behaviour during the Old Firm's derby, according to Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst. Gascoigne's court threwered a lot of controversies in January 1998 while warming up as a replacement during an Old Firm match at Celtic Park. Rangers was fined £20,000 after the incident, having already made the same gesture as a goal celebration shortly after joining the club in 1995 but at the time, we were still annoyed. An IRA member also put him in danger of death. The 1997–98 season was less fruitful. Gascoigne had scored just 3 goals in 28 games and was sold out, while Rangers lost trophies after he had left Celtic and lost the Scottish Cup final to Hearts.

In March 1998, Gascoigne left Scotland for Middlesbrough, where former England teammate Bryan Robson was the boss. His first match was against Chelsea in the 1998 Football League Cup Final, where he came as a replacement. He appeared in seven games in the First Division, helping "Boro" get to the Premier League as runners-up to Nottingham Forest at the end of the 1997-98 season.

Gascoigne began receiving blackouts after blaming himself for the death of a friend who died after Gascoigne and a group of friends went out drinking on a night out. Gascoigne started the season on a good foot and lifted Middlesbrough to fourth place by Christmas, despite his ongoing personal challenges and his stint in rehab. Gascoigne's season came to an end, finishing in ninth place and scoring 3 goals in 26 top-flight games. Gascoigne was recalled to the England squad, who were now captained by former teammate Kevin Keegan and lacking a creative presence in midfield.

During Middlesbrough's 4–0 loss to Aston Villa at the Riverside Stadium, his career went into terminal decline during the 1999–2000 season, with Gascoigne breaking his arm after elbowing opposition midfield player George Boateng in the head. The Football Association later fined him three matches and a £5,000 fine.

Since joining Everton on a free transfer in July 2000, Gascoigne signed a two-year deal. Despite not playing every game due to his lack of fitness, he did a good job in 2000-2001, but a string of injuries and his ongoing depression kept him out of the first team photo by Christmas.

Gascoigne was fit enough to play for the "Toffees" in 2001-2002 season, and first in English football, defeating Bolton Wanderers on November 3rd. Gascoigne was forced to miss action for three months due to a hernia fracture. Walter Smith left Goodison Park in March, and Gascoigne left the club shortly after his replacement, David Moyes, took over.

Gascoigne spent the 2001–2002 season with Burnley, Stan Ternent's Burnley, where he made six First Division appearances. Turf Moor was barely able to qualify for the play-offs after just two months, and he left the club just two months later. He was inducted into the National Football Museum in 2002, being dubbed "the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his time." Gascoigne was "the best player I've ever played with," according to fellow England midfielder Paul Ince. He was incredible."

Gascoigne attempted to join Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the summer of 2002, but the team was dissatisfied with the offer. Gillingham, also made enquiries, and Gascoigne had a fruitless trial with the club. He signed a nine-month deal with China's Gansu Tianma in both a playing and coaching role. Gascoigne scored in his first game in China, and in total, he had scored two goals in four league games, but his physical condition meant he had to return to the United States for anti-drinking and depression treatment in April, which he never returned despite the club's instructions.

Gascoigne was offered the opportunity to train with Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2003. However, Wolves turned down the possibility of delivering Gascoigne a contract a month later.

Gascoigne was signed as player-coach by League Two team Boston United in July 2004, and after signing, he talked about his coaching aspirations, saying, "I can be both a great coach and a fantastic manager." Gascoigne left Boston after five appearances in a three-month absence, citing personal reasons as well as his teaching career. In 2005, Graham Roberts, a former Rangers teammate, made a futile effort to sign Gascoigne as a player-coach at Clyde.

International career

Gascoigne was called up to the England under-21 team in the summer of 1987 and scored with a free kick in his debut in a 2–0 victory over Morocco. Under Dave Sexton, he went on to win 12 caps for the under-21s. The team was semi-finalists in the UEFA U-21 Eurovision and finalists at the Toulon Tournament in 1988, losing by France on both counts and finalists.

Gascoigne was first called up to the full England squad by Bobby Robson in a friendly against Denmark on September 14, 1988, and came as a late replacement for Peter Beardsley in a 1–0 victory. In a 5–0 victory over Albania over 26 April 1989, he scored his first goal for England. In the following game against Chile, he made his first appearance in the game, then against Chile, and retained his first team spot for the most matches in the run-in to the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He also played four games for the England B team. In a 4–2 victory over Czechoslovakia, he scored one goal and was a key component in the other three teams. He earned his place in the World Cup squad.

Gascoigne qualified in Italy for the World Cup because he had never participated in a national championship before. He appeared in all three of the group games and England defeated Group F, with Gascoigne providing the assistance to Mark Wright's winner against Egypt. He had another assist in Belgium's first knockout game against Belgium after chipping a free-kick into the penalty area, where David Platt volleyed the ball into the net. Gascoigne was still involved in the quarter-finals against Cameroon when he gave up a penalty, which Cameroon converted. He made a good through-ball pass, which was followed by a penalty that was later revealed to be the winning goal in extra time.

In a World Cup semi-final match at Stadio delle Alpi in Turin, England defeated West Germany on July 4, 1990. Gascoigne was suspended for the final if England wins the match after losing by a yellow card during England's 1–0 victory over Belgium in the second round, indicating that if England wins the tournament, he will be suspended until the final. Following the yellow card, television cameras caught him weeping in his eyes, making Gascoigne a very popular figure with the British population. The match culminated in a penalty shoot-out, which the Germans won after Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed their penalties.

Robson resigned from England after the tournament, and his replacement, Graham Taylor, dropped Gascoigne in favour of 32-year-old Gordon Cowans in a Euro '92 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in November 1990, citing tactical reasons. He returned to the starting lineup for a friendly against Cameroon in February, but three months later, he missed England's next twenty-one England fixtures, including all of UEFA Euro 1992, where England failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Gascoigne returned to action in time for the first qualifying game against Norway in October 1992, and after playing in the 1–1 draw, he responded to a Norwegian television crew's call to say "a few words to Norway." His message was broadcast on Norwegian television, and he was obliged to apologise for the remark. In a 4–0 victory over Turkey earlier this month, he scored two goals. England's qualifying session went horribly wrong, finishing third behind Norway and the Netherlands in third place and missing out on a spot in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Gascoigne was unable to play for 15 months due to a broken leg in 1994, but Terry Venables, his former Spurs boss, had been promoted as England manager by the time he returned to action. They didn't have to go through the qualification process again, so instead they played several friendlies, the majority of which featured Gascoigne in the starting lineup. The last of these games were played in Hong Kong, following the fact that many England players were photographed on a night out in which Gascoigne and several others were pouring into their mouths while not seated in the "dentist's chair." Gascoigne was out for a 1–1 draw with Switzerland during which Gascoigne was inserted. In England's second game of the tournament, he defeated Scotland (where he was playing at club level at the time). Hendry flicked the ball over Colin Hendry with his left foot and changed direction, and Gascoigne volleyed it with his right foot past Andy Goram to win by 2–0. The aim was followed by the "dentist's chair" commemoration, where Gascoigne lay on the ground as if he were sitting in the dentist's chair, and teammates sprayed water from Lucozade bottles into his open mouth.

England defeated the Netherlands 4–1 to advance to the knock-out stages. They then drew 0–0 with Spain before winning 4–2 on penalties, the last of which was converted by Gascoigne. In the semi-finals, England defeated Germany 1-1, and Gascoigne missed out on the chance to win the game in extra time because he was inches away from connecting to an Alan Shearer cross yards in front of an unguarded German net. England lost to Germany in the ensuing penalty shootout, with Gareth Southgate missing England's sudden death penalty.

Gascoigne was picked regularly under Glenn Hoddle and aided England in winning the Tournoi de France in 1997, which was a victory over Brazil, France, and Italy. Quantity for the 1998 FIFA World Cup came down to a close in the final group match against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico, and Gascoigne put in a focused and mature effort to help England win the 0–0 draw that was enough to advance to the tournament. Following qualifications, British tabloid newspapers would feature photos of Gascoigne eating kebabs late at night with his DJ friend Chris Evans. These photos were released just a week before the final squad was scheduled to be selected. Hoddle, who had not chosen Gascoigne in the final squad, was taken aback by the pictures. Gascoigne screamed Hoddle's room before being restrained after hearing the news. Gascoigne, a 57 caps and scored ten goals, hasn't played for England again.

Managerial and coaching career

Gascoigne signed for Boston United on July 30, 2004, having already had some coaching experience in China. After being at the club for 11 games, he left (partly as a result of the club's refusal to allow him to participate in the reality television show I'm a Celebrity (Get Me Out of Here). A football coaching course will begin on October 5th. After leaving Boston, he stated that he was interested in taking over as the head of Scottish side Greenock Morton, but that came to nothing.

He spent two months as player-coach for the newly formed Portuguese team Algarve United in mid-2005, but after a new deal never materialized, he returned to England. He was appointed manager of Kettering Town in Conference North on October 27, 2005, and he also promised to own one-third of the team to demonstrate his dedication. Kevin Wilson was named as the club's assistant manager, and Paul Davis was named as the club's assistant manager. Gascoigne was expected to be fired before Christmas by bookmakers, though he insisted that the club was in the game "for the long haul." Attempts to bring new sponsors aboard were fruitful, but the pitch against Kettering went quickly. His time with the club was short, but his board dismissed him on December 5th. Gascoigne's alcohol issues were partly blamed on the club's founder, Imraan Ladak, who admitted that he drank almost every day he worked. Gascoigne later said that the owner had intervened relentlessly and possessed aspirations of being a boss himself, despite knowing little about football. He was never on a football contract and was never compensated for his six weeks of service, nor was he allowed to invest in the club as he had intended.

Gascoigne came close to being named manager of Garforth Town in October 2010, but after weeks of talks between his agent and the club, he decided against it, although he reiterated his desire to return to football management.

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