A guy went, If I give you something, can I have a selfie with it?' He pulled his f**king glass eye out and said, Can you hold that?' Paul Gascoigne on his greatest fan encounters

"He says one person even dropped to the ground in worship not long ago at a supermarket. Some guy walked up behind me with his two kids, got on his knees and started crying, he tells FourFourTwo. I thought, Get up mate, your kids will think I f**king hit you!' He was crying his eyes out. I get that a lot with fans."

"His performances for England at the 1990 World Cup saw him transcend mere football stardom, as Gazzamania' swept the country and propelled Gascoigne to the status of being a household name. Even now, at 58 years old, more than two decades after his retirement as a player, it's difficult for him to be out and about without being stopped constantly, albeit nearly always by fans who want to say nice things to him."

Paul Gascoigne achieved household-name status after standout performances for England at the 1990 World Cup. He continues to be stopped frequently in public, with fans showing intense admiration and occasionally extreme behavior. Fans have reacted emotionally, including kneeling and crying, and have made unusual requests such as selfies with a removed glass eye. Supporters often lift him at speaking events and ask for photos in everyday situations like banks. Fame creates ongoing pressures; celebrity attention can be intrusive, sometimes difficult to handle, and can lead to moments of frustration or snapping.

Read at www.fourfourtwo.com