GAZZA ON... HIS ENGLAND DAYS
QWhat were the highlights of your England career? PG: I got 57 caps and loved playing for my country. I would have played more, but I was out for four years with a broken kneecap, torn ligaments and broken tibia and fibula.
In the World Cup when I cried I wasn’t crying because we were getting beat in the semi-final, I cried because I thought it was the end of my career. I loved it so much.
It annoys me today when some of the players don’t appreciate the fans. You take your two kids to the match, you’ve got your tickets, the travel, you name it, and a player scores and doesn’t celebrate with the fans. It winds me up.
QWhat was your greatest moment? PG: I think the goal against Scotland meant a hell of a lot, but my proudest moment was pulling on that shirt for the first time and playing for my country.
QWhat about the current crop of England players? PG: We’ve got some great players. I think some of them are individuals, and you’ve got to be a team player.
I like Welbeck and Rashford, but we need midfield players who will take a risk.
Too many play what I call ‘crab football’, all they do is go sideways – go forward, have a gamble.
There will never be another Bryan Robson, or Pele, and there’ll never be another Paul Gascoigne.
When I did things on the pitch I didn’t know I was doing them, I was three seconds ahead of everyone else.