WORLD AT HIS FEET
A new documentary looks at the turbulent life and career of PAUL GASCOIGNE
Gazza
Wednesday, 9pm, BBC2 (box set, BBC iplayer)
With a career full of dizzying highs, crushing lows, wild antics and unbelievable goals, few professionals have captured the imagination of England football fans like Paul Gascoigne.
The story of his spectacular career and troubled private life is told in a two-part documentary, which begins with Gascoigne impressing for his hometown club, Newcastle United, before signing for Spurs in1988 for a British record transfer fee at the age of 21.
‘I was in a car on my way to sign for Manchester United when Spurs called and offered to buy my mum and dad a house,’ he recalls. ‘I had a tough upbringing and I wanted to look after my family, so I told the driver to take me to Spurs!’
It was a move that pushed him into the spotlight and he made headlines with drinking sessions and a love of pranks.
But this first part of the documentary also tells how he found global fame as the star of an England side that reached the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, only to lose out to
West Germany. ‘When I see clips of Italia 90 I feel great, then sad,’ says Gascoigne. ‘It was the best time of my life.’
GAZZAMANIA
However, his tournament ended in heartbreak, when he broke down in tears after receiving a yellow card that meant he would miss the final. ‘The ref went to his pocket and suddenly I couldn’t hear anything,’ he says. ‘I couldn’t hold it back.
I just wanted to be left alone.’ ‘Gazzamania’ began that summer, and the media scrutiny and pressure on the pitch affected the midfielder. He later had to watch Spurs win the1991 FA Cup final from hospital after injuring his knee in a wild challenge.
‘I started crying the minute they started walking up the Wembley steps to collect the cup,’ he says. ‘That was my dream. I wasn’t bothered with the trophy; I just wanted to walk up those steps.’