Paul Gascoigne facts for kids
Gascoigne in 2021
|
|||
| 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), also known as Gazza, is a former English professional footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder and is thought to be one of the most skilled English players 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. The public's love for him was called "Gazzamania." He played for famous clubs like Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, and Rangers. He also played 57 times for the England national team.
He was a star at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where he helped England reach the semi-finals. He also scored a famous goal against Scotland in the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. After his playing career, he had some coaching roles. His life after football has had its ups and downs, which have often been talked about in the news.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Career
Paul Gascoigne was born in Gateshead, England, on 27 May 1967. He was named after Paul McCartney and John Lennon from the Beatles. He loved football from a young age and was noticed by scouts while playing for a local team called Gateshead Boys.
In 1980, he joined the youth team of Newcastle United, the club he supported. As a young player, he was known for his amazing talent but also for being a prankster. His manager at the time, Jack Charlton, noticed he was "a bit chubby" but believed it gave him extra strength on the field.
In the 1984–85 season, Gascoigne was the captain of Newcastle's youth team. He led them to victory in the FA Youth Cup, scoring two goals in the final against Watford. This success showed everyone that he was ready for the first team.
Club Career
Newcastle United
Gascoigne made his first-team debut for Newcastle on 13 April 1985. He soon became a regular starter and a star player. In the 1985–86 season, he scored nine goals. By the 1987–88 season, he was so good that he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Many top clubs wanted to sign him. He first promised to join Manchester United, but then Tottenham Hotspur made a record-breaking offer of £2.2 million. Gascoigne decided to move to London and join Spurs.
Tottenham Hotspur
At Tottenham, Gascoigne continued to impress. He helped the team finish third in the league in the 1989–90 season. In 1990, he was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
The 1990–91 season was a big one for Gascoigne. He helped Tottenham reach the FA Cup Final. In the semi-final against rivals Arsenal, he scored a fantastic goal from a free-kick.
Sadly, in the final against Nottingham Forest, he was badly injured. Just 15 minutes into the game, he hurt his knee ligaments while making a tackle. He had to be carried off the field. Tottenham went on to win the cup, but Gascoigne had to miss the entire next season because of his injury.
Lazio
In 1992, Gascoigne moved to Italy to play for Lazio for a fee of £5.5 million. He became a fan favourite when he scored a last-minute goal to tie the game against their biggest rivals, AS Roma.
During his time in Italy, he had some ups and downs with injuries. In one famous story, his coach Dino Zoff told him to go on holiday to recover. Gascoigne returned from the holiday overweight. When Zoff asked why, Gascoigne joked, "I told you not to send me on holiday, Signor Zoff!"
Rangers
In 1995, Gascoigne moved to Scotland to play for Rangers for a club record fee of £4.3 million. He had a huge impact right away. He scored a brilliant goal against rivals Celtic after running almost the whole length of the pitch.
He helped Rangers win the league title and the Scottish Cup in his first season. He scored 19 goals and was named Scotland's Player of the Year. The next season, he helped Rangers win the league title again, as well as the Scottish League Cup.
Later Career
In 1998, Gascoigne returned to England to play for Middlesbrough. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League. He later played for Everton and Burnley.
He also had short spells playing in China for Gansu Tianma and for Boston United in England, where he also worked as a player-coach. In 2002, he was added to the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame.
International Career
Gascoigne played for England's youth teams before making his debut for the senior team in 1988. He quickly became a key player for his country.
1990 World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy is where Gascoigne became a global star. He played brilliantly throughout the tournament, helping England reach the semi-finals against West Germany.
During the semi-final, he received a yellow card. This meant that if England reached the final, he would not be allowed to play. The cameras showed him with tears in his eyes, and he became a hero to the English public. England lost the match on penalties, but "Gazzamania" had begun.
Euro 1996
After missing UEFA Euro 1992 due to injury, Gascoigne was back for UEFA Euro 1996, which was held in England. In a group match against Scotland, he scored one of the most famous goals in English football history.
He received the ball, flicked it over a defender's head, and then volleyed it into the net. To celebrate, he lay on the ground while his teammates sprayed water into his mouth. This was a reference to a "dentist's chair" prank from a team trip before the tournament.
England again reached the semi-finals but lost to Germany on penalties. Gascoigne almost scored a winning goal in extra time, but he just missed the ball in front of an open goal.
His last match for England was in 1998. He was not selected for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad. In total, he played 57 times for England and scored 10 goals.
Style of Play
Gascoigne was a creative playmaker with amazing technical skills. He was known for his powerful shots, accurate passes, and incredible dribbling. He was strong, fast, and had great balance, which made it hard for defenders to get the ball from him.
Football legend Gary Lineker called him "the most naturally gifted technical footballer that I played with." Other famous players like Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes have also said how great he was. He played with a love for the game that made him exciting to watch.
After Football
After retiring as a player, Gascoigne had a very brief spell as manager of Kettering Town in 2005. He has also been involved in charity work and has appeared on television shows. He played in the first Soccer Aid charity match in 2006.
He has written three books about his life. In recent years, he has faced many personal challenges. On 18 July 2025, he was taken to hospital after collapsing at his home. His condition was reported as stable.
Images for kids
-
Gascoigne playing for England during Soccer Aid in May 2006.
-
Gascoigne speaking at an event in Southampton, 2023
-
Gascoigne at the Memorabilia convention, Birmingham, April 2006.
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
See also
In Spanish: Paul Gascoigne para niños
