Paul Gascoigne facts for kids
Gascoigne in 2021
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul John Gascoigne | ||
| Date of birth | 27 May 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Gateshead, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1985 | Newcastle United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1985–1988 | Newcastle United | 92 | (21) |
| 1988–1992 | Tottenham Hotspur | 92 | (19) |
| 1992–1995 | Lazio | 43 | (6) |
| 1995–1998 | Rangers | 74 | (30) |
| 1998–2000 | Middlesbrough | 41 | (4) |
| 2000–2002 | Everton | 32 | (1) |
| 2002 | Burnley | 6 | (0) |
| 2003 | Gansu Tianma | 4 | (2) |
| 2004 | Boston United | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 388 | (83) | |
| International career | |||
| 1987–1988 | England U21 | 12 | (5) |
| 1989 | England B | 4 | (1) |
| 1988–1998 | England | 57 | (10) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2005 | Kettering Town | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paul John Gascoigne (born 27 May 1967), known as Gazza, is a famous English former professional footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder. Many people consider him one of the best playmakers of his time. The National Football Museum calls him "the most naturally talented English footballer of his generation." Gascoigne was very popular during his career. In 1990, broadcaster Terry Wogan even called him "probably the most popular man in Britain today." This huge public interest in him was known as "Gazzamania."
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Paul Gascoigne was born in Gateshead, England, on 27 May 1967. His father, John, worked as a hod carrier, and his mother, Carol, worked in a factory. He was named after Paul McCartney and John Lennon from the Beatles. His family moved several times during his childhood.
Paul attended Breckenbeds Junior High School and Heathfield Senior High School. Football scouts noticed his talent early on. He tried out for Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough, and Southampton. However, he eventually signed with his favorite team, Newcastle United, as a schoolboy in 1980.
Despite some challenges in his early life, Paul found joy and focus in football. He wanted to help his family financially. He believed professional football was the best way to do this. He once wrote that he felt calm and happy when playing football. On his 16th birthday, he became an apprentice at Newcastle.
When he was in the Newcastle youth team, Paul was often a bit overweight. Manager Jack Charlton noticed this but wasn't too worried. He thought the extra weight gave Paul strength on the field. Charlton also saw that Paul loved to play jokes. He once told Paul to lose weight, and Paul trained hard to do so.
Club Career Highlights
Newcastle United
Youth Career and First Team Debut
Gascoigne led Newcastle United's youth team to win the FA Youth Cup in the 1984–85 season. He scored two goals in the final against Watford. After this success, manager Jack Charlton told him he would join the first team.
Paul made his first team debut on 13 April 1985. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Queens Park Rangers. At 18, he signed a two-year contract with Newcastle.
Rising Star at Newcastle
Willie McFaul became manager for the 1985–86 season. He put Gascoigne in the starting lineup. Paul scored his first goal on 21 September 1985 against Oxford United. He scored nine goals that season. Newcastle finished 11th in the First Division.
In the 1986–87 season, he scored 5 goals in 24 league games. Newcastle finished 17th, just above the relegation zone.
Top Performances and Big Transfer
In 1988, Jackie Milburn, a Newcastle legend, called Gascoigne "the best player in the world." Paul was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in the 1987–88 season. He was also included in the PFA Team of the Year.
However, Newcastle United faced some difficulties at the time. This made it hard for them to keep such a talented young player. Gascoigne eventually signed with Tottenham Hotspur. The transfer fee was a record £2.2 million for a British player.
Tottenham Hotspur
Impressive Start and National Recognition
In his first season at White Hart Lane, Gascoigne helped Terry Venables's Tottenham Hotspur finish sixth. He scored 7 goals in 37 games. The team improved to third place in the 1989–90 season.
On 26 September, he scored four goals in a 5–0 victory against Hartlepool United. In 1990, he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He also became the club's Player of the Year.
FA Cup Glory and Injury
Gascoigne was part of the PFA Team of the Year in the 1990–91 season. Tottenham reached the FA Cup Final. They beat rivals Arsenal in the semi-final, with Gascoigne scoring a fantastic free-kick.
In the final against Nottingham Forest, Gascoigne suffered a serious knee injury. This happened early in the game. He had to leave the match on a stretcher. Tottenham still went on to win the Cup in extra-time. This injury meant he missed the entire 1991–92 season.
Lazio
Moving to Italy and Early Challenges
Gascoigne joined Italian club Lazio for a fee of £5.5 million. He made his Serie A debut on 27 September 1992 against Genoa. He found it a bit hard to settle in Italy.
Despite this, he was popular with the fans. He scored an important goal in the 89th minute against AS Roma. This helped Lazio draw the famous Rome derby. He broke his cheekbone in April 1993. He had to wear a mask for the rest of the season. Lazio finished fifth, qualifying for European competition.
Fitness and Team Changes
Before the 1993–94 season, manager Dino Zoff asked Gascoigne to improve his fitness. Gascoigne worked hard to get in shape. He even captained the team in one match.
In 1994, Zdeněk Zeman became the new coach. Gascoigne broke his leg in training in April 1994. After his recovery, he decided to leave Lazio at the end of the 1994–95 season.
Rangers
Scottish Success and Awards
In July 1995, Gascoigne signed for Rangers for £4.3 million. He quickly made a big impact. In an important game against Celtic, he scored a memorable goal.
Rangers won the Scottish Premier Division that season. Gascoigne scored a hat-trick in the title-clinching game against Aberdeen. They also won the Scottish Cup, beating Heart of Midlothian 5–1 in the final. He scored 19 goals in 42 games. He was named both PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year.
Continued Triumphs and Later Years
Rangers won the league title again in the 1996–97 season. This was their ninth title in a row. Gascoigne scored hat-tricks against Kilmarnock and Motherwell. He finished the season with 17 goals in 34 games.
The team also won the Scottish League Cup. They beat Hearts 4–3 in the final, with Gascoigne scoring twice. In November 1997, Gascoigne received a ban after an incident during a game. The 1997–98 season was less successful for Rangers. Gascoigne scored 3 goals in 28 games before leaving the club.
Middlesbrough
Gascoigne joined Middlesbrough in March 1998. His former England teammate Bryan Robson was the manager. His first match was the 1998 Football League Cup Final against Chelsea. He came on as a substitute in the final, which Middlesbrough lost.
He played seven games in the First Division. He helped "Boro" get promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 1997–98 season.
In the 1998–99 season, Gascoigne started well. He helped Middlesbrough reach fourth place by Christmas. They finished the season in ninth place. He scored 3 goals in 26 top-flight games.
His career faced challenges during the 1999–2000 season. He broke his arm during a match against Aston Villa. This led to a three-match ban.
Everton
Gascoigne signed a two-year contract with Everton in July 2000. His former Rangers manager, Walter Smith, was in charge. He started the 2000–01 season well, despite not playing every game due to fitness issues. However, a series of injuries kept him out of the first team.
After some time away, Gascoigne was fit to play for the "Toffees" in the 2001–02 season. He scored his first goal for the club against Bolton Wanderers in November. He then suffered a hernia injury, which kept him out for three months. Walter Smith left Everton in March, and Gascoigne left the club shortly after.
Later Career
In 2002, Gascoigne played six First Division games for Burnley. The club narrowly missed out on the play-offs. He was inducted into the National Football Museum that year. He was recognized as "the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his generation."
In February 2003, he signed a nine-month contract with Chinese club Gansu Tianma. He took on both playing and coaching roles. Gascoigne scored in his first match in China. He scored two goals in four league games. However, he returned to the United States for personal reasons and did not return to the club.
In July 2004, Gascoigne joined League Two side Boston United as a player-coach. He played five games in three months. He left Boston to focus on his coaching career.
International Career
Gascoigne first played for the England under-21 side in 1987. He scored a free-kick in his debut against Morocco. He earned 12 caps for the under-21s.
He was called up to the full England squad by Bobby Robson in September 1988. He made his debut as a substitute against Denmark. He scored his first goal for England in a 5–0 victory over Albania in April 1989.
1990 FIFA World Cup
Gascoigne was a key player for England at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. He played in all three group games. England topped Group F. He provided an assist for Mark Wright's winning goal against Egypt.
In the knockout stages, he assisted David Platt's goal against Belgium. He also helped set up a penalty for Gary Lineker against Cameroon. Bryan Robson later called Gascoigne the "best player" he had ever played with.
The Semi-Final Tears
On 4 July 1990, England played West Germany in the World Cup semi-final. Gascoigne received a yellow card during the match. This meant he would miss the final if England won. Television cameras showed him crying, which made him very popular with the British public.
The match ended in a penalty shoot-out. Germany won after Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed their penalties.
Euro 1996 and Memorable Goals
After a long injury, Gascoigne returned to the England team under manager Terry Venables. England hosted UEFA Euro 1996. Gascoigne played in many friendly matches leading up to the tournament.
He scored a famous goal in England's second game against Scotland. He flicked the ball over a defender and volleyed it into the net. This goal was followed by a fun "dentist's chair" celebration with his teammates. Terry Venables called it "a goal of unimpeachable quality, world-class, extraordinary."
England reached the semi-finals, where they again faced Germany. The game ended 1–1. Gascoigne came very close to scoring a winning goal in extra time. England lost the resulting penalty shoot-out.
Later International Appearances
Under manager Glenn Hoddle, Gascoigne continued to play regularly. He helped England win the Tournoi de France in 1997. He also played a crucial role in helping England qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
However, he was not selected for the final World Cup squad. Gascoigne played 57 games for England and scored ten goals.
Managerial and Coaching Career
Gascoigne had some coaching experience in China. In July 2004, he joined Boston United as a player-coach. He left the club after 11 games to pursue a football coaching course.
In October 2005, he was appointed manager of Conference North club Kettering Town. He planned to invest in the club to show his commitment. However, his time as manager lasted only 39 days. He left the club in December 2005.
Gascoigne came close to managing Garforth Town in October 2010. He decided to turn down the offer but still expressed a desire to return to football management.
Other Projects
After the 1990 World Cup, Gascoigne released a song called "Fog on the Tyne" with the band Lindisfarne. It reached number 2 in the UK music charts. He also promoted two video games: Gazza's Superstar Soccer and Gazza II.
In August 2006, he visited Botswana for the Football Association's outreach week. He played football with children from the SOS Children's Village. He also participated in charity football matches, including the first edition of Soccer Aid in 2006.
In 2015, a documentary film about him called Gascoigne was released. In 2022, a two-part documentary series titled Gazza also explored his life and career.
Style of Play
Paul Gascoigne was a creative and skilled playmaker who played as an attacking midfielder. He was great at both scoring goals and setting them up for others. This was thanks to his accurate passes, powerful shots, and heading ability.
He had speed, physical strength, and excellent dribbling skills. These skills allowed him to keep the ball, get past opponents, and handle tough challenges. He was also very good at taking free kicks and penalty kicks.
Gary Lineker described Gascoigne as "the most naturally gifted technical footballer that I played with." He said Gascoigne played "completely for the love of the game." Steven Gerrard called Gascoigne his "hero." Gareth Southgate noted that Gascoigne had "that little bit more than all the others."
Football writer Brian Glanville said Gascoigne showed "a flair, a superlative technique, a tactical sophistication, seldom matched by an England player since the war." Despite his talent, his career was sometimes affected by injuries.
Personal Life
Gascoigne married Sheryl Failes in July 1996. They later divorced in 1999. Gascoigne has a son named Regan with Sheryl. He also adopted Sheryl's two children from her first marriage, including Bianca.
During the 1990s, Gascoigne had a well-known friendship with Danny Baker and Chris Evans. He often appeared on their radio and television shows.
In October 2004, Gascoigne announced that he wanted to be called G8. This combined the first letter of his surname with the number he wore on his shirt, meaning "great."
Gascoigne has written several autobiographies. These include Gazza: My Story (2004), Being Gazza: Tackling My Demons (2006), and Glorious: My World, Football and Me (2011). He lives in Poole, Dorset.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Newcastle United | 1984–85 | First Division | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | |||
| 1985–86 | First Division | 31 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 35 | 9 | ||
| 1986–87 | First Division | 24 | 5 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 26 | 5 | |||
| 1987–88 | First Division | 35 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | 41 | 11 | ||
| Total | 92 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1 | – | 104 | 25 | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1988–89 | First Division | 32 | 6 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 37 | 7 | ||
| 1989–90 | First Division | 34 | 6 | – | 4 | 1 | – | 38 | 7 | |||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 26 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | – | 37 | 19 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 92 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 33 | ||
| Lazio | 1992–93 | Serie A | 22 | 4 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 4 | ||
| 1993–94 | Serie A | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | ||
| 1994–95 | Serie A | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 43 | 6 | 4 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 47 | 6 | |||
| Rangers | 1995–96 | Scottish Premier Division | 28 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 42 | 19 |
| 1996–97 | Scottish Premier Division | 26 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 17 | |
| 1997–98 | Scottish Premier Division | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | 28 | 3 | ||
| Total | 74 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 104 | 39 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1997–98 | First Division | 7 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 29 | 3 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | ||
| Total | 41 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 48 | 4 | |||
| Everton | 2000–01 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 23 | 1 | ||
| Total | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 38 | 1 | |||
| Burnley | 2001–02 | First Division | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||
| Gansu Tianma | 2003 | China League One | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | |||
| Boston United | 2004–05 | League Two | 4 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 388 | 83 | 28 | 12 | 37 | 13 | 15 | 2 | 468 | 110 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1988 | 2 | 0 |
| 1989 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 13 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1993 | 6 | 2 | |
| 1994 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 11 | 3 | |
| 1997 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 10 | |
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gascoigne goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 April 1989 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Albania |
5–0 | 5–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 2 | 25 April 1990 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Czechoslovakia |
4-2 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 18 November 1992 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Turkey |
1–0 | 4–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 4 | 4–0 | |||||
| 5 | 31 March 1993 | İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir, Turkey | Turkey |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 6 | 8 September 1993 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Poland |
2–0 | 3–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 7 | 23 May 1996 | Workers' Stadium, Beijing, China |  China |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 15 June 1996 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Scotland |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| 9 | 1 September 1996 | Republican Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova |  Moldova |
2–0 | 3–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 10 | 10 September 1997 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | Moldova |
3–0 | 4–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
Honours
Newcastle United Youth
- FA Youth Cup: 1984–85
Tottenham Hotspur
- FA Cup: 1990–91
Rangers
- Scottish Premier Division: 1995–96, 1996–97
- Scottish Cup: 1995–96
- Scottish League Cup: 1996–97
Middlesbrough
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1997–98
England
- Tournoi de France: 1997
Individual
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1987–88
- PFA Team of the Year: 1987–88 First Division, 1990–91 First Division
- Newcastle United Player of the Year: 1987–88
- Barclays Young Eagle: 1988
- Ballon d'Or 1990: Fourth place
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 1990
- Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year: 1990
- EFL Cup top scorer: 1990–91
- BBC Goal of the Season: 1990–91
- PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year: 1995–96
- SFWA Footballer of the Year: 1995–96
- SPFA Goal of the Season: 1995–96
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
- English Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 2002
- Rangers Hall of Fame Inductee: 2006
Images for kids
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His tears in the national limelight made Gascoigne famous enough to be lampooned on Spitting Image. His puppet, which employed projectile tears, is now on display at the National Football Museum.
See also
In Spanish: Paul Gascoigne para niños
