#paul-gascoigne

#paul-gascoigne

Gascoigne's new book is called Eight, not just for the number he wore during his playing career, but also because he addresses the emotions he experienced during his life. It's about my eight demons, everything I've had to face up to, he told FourFourTwo. I've conquered most of them. The rest are hard to conquer, but I just try to deal with them the best I can.

Paul Gascoigne battled off-field issues for his entire career, and his luck didn't fare much better on the pitch. Good fortune clearly wasn't necessary for England's foremost mercurial talent, however, as he still ranks no.2 FourFourTwo's list of the best English midfielders ever. Despite persistent injury problems, adding to an already complex personal life, his raw talent shone through, and he remains one of the best players the country has ever produced.

I did a couple of venues with him what a shame, a great guy, a great character. He was like myself, he gave his time up for anybody and he'd give his last penny away. It was heartbreaking.

For better or worse, the decade belonged to him. His difficulties off the pitch over the years have been well-documented, but when FFT met up with him on the south coast recently, Gascoigne was in a good place happy, charming and generous. He acknowledges and owns his flaws, but knows how talented and adored he was and still is. In 1990, the streets ground to a halt when Gascoigne returned home from the World Cup.