GAZZA CALLED UP FOR SPURS’ FINAL MATCH AT LANE
STAR AMONG TOTTENHAM FAVOURITES INVITED TO UNITED CLASH TO CELEBRATE END OF AN ERA
PAUL GASCOIGNE is among the leading former Tottenham players invited to attend the final match at White Hart Lane in 12 days’ time.
The 49-year-old is one of a number of ex-Spurs players to be sent letters by the club last month, asking them if they would like to return to the ground for the game against Manchester United on May 14.
Gascoigne played for Tottenham from 1988-92, helping the club reach the FA Cup Final in 1991 by scoring with a memorable free-kick in the semi-final win over Arsenal.
Though Spurs beat Nottingham Forest in the final — Gascoigne’s last game for the club before joining Lazio — the former England midfielder suffered a serious knee injury early in the game after making a terrible challenge.
One of the best English players of his generation, Gascoigne has suffered many personal difficulties since his playing career ended in 2004. He has struggled for many years with alcoholism.
Tottenham attempted to make contact in mid-April with their best living ex-players — roughly a month before the United fixture — to try to secure their attendance.
Gascoigne has rarely watched games at White Hart Lane since his retirement but he was pictured there alongside Gary Mabbutt, captain of the 1991 side, for Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Everton in April 2013. He was also at the ground on the day of the 2-2 draw with West Ham inn February
2015, appearing onn a BT Sport pre-match show.
When Spurs faced Lazio in the group stages of the Europa League in 2012, Gascoigne was invited to bothth fix-fixtures. Though he missedmissed the one in north London,ndon, he was in Romee that November for thee 0-0 draw.
Gascoigne ( r i gg hh tt )) remains a hugely pop-opular figure with foot-otball fans across thehe country and wouldd be guaranteed a warm reception from both sets of supporters were he at White Hart
Lane on S u n d ayy week. The majority of those invited are expected to be present.
It is unclear whether Gareth Bale, arguably Tottenham’s best player of the decade, will be allowed to attend. The Wales forward has a calf injury, meaning he may be unavailable for Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Sevilla, which takes place on the same day Tottenham face United. Meanwhile, Harry Kane has urged Tottenham to do even better next season — eveneve though they could end this campaigncam with 89 points, by far their best total in the Premiermier League era.
WWith Chelsea four ppoints ahead of Spurs, Kane concedes that even a maximum haul from his s i d e ’s remaining four games may not be enough to secure the title.
But the striker said: “We’ve just got to keep building. We’ve hhad a better season tt hh a n last ye ar and agaagain, whatever happens this year, next year we have to get even better. ThatThat’s important.”