He's the clown prince of football. Daft as a brush, Bobby Robson once said. Always the joker, a born entertainer, attention-seeker and even if it took a pair of plastic breasts to do it, never one to miss an opportunity to raise a smile. But no one's laughing anymore. When Paul Gascoigne was sacked as manager of Kettering Town this week amid a whirlwind of allegations of being drunk on the job, it showed just how low this tragic figure appears to have sunk. To compound his misery, Gazza ended the day with a night in the cells after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a photographer. He had claimed to be sober after a successful stint in rehab. For fans and admirers, the 38-year-old Dunston-born superstar's sad decline has been painful to watch. Once the millionaire footballing hero, widely regarded as the most gifted player of his generation, Gascoigne's addictions to drugs and alcohol have seen him spiral out of control. Throughout the latter part of what should have been an illustrious career, he has also battled through a series of health problems, including depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. Paul Gascoigne started out in the game he adores as a chubby teenager at his beloved Newcastle United. No Toon fan will never forget his divine dribbling or amazing turn of pace. Or, of course, that famous altercation with a certain Vinnie Jones. The former Redheugh Boys player's dazzling skills made a move to a more successful and ambitious club inevitable and he was transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in 1988 for a cool £2m. Within two months he had made his England debut against Denmark. His cheeky Geordie charm was winning him a legion of fans, but it wasn't until his tears at the 1990 World Cup semi-final that Paul Gascoigne captured the nation's hearts. He split with his childhood sweetheart Gail Pringle and started living the millionaire high life. However, an injury in the 1991 FA Cup Final put his career on the skids. What made it all the more frustrating was that he had no one to blame but himself. He needlessly lunged at Nottingham Forest's Gary Charles and tore his cruciate ligaments. He was out of the game for 16 months and never played for Tottenham again. Some say Gazza never came back the same player. Apart from occasional flashes of brilliance, throughout the nineties his career has been characterised by under-achievement. He managed to pick up a knee injury on his debut for Italian giants Lazio in September, 1992, and in a January, 1994, training session he broke his right leg, putting him out of action for a year. From Lazio, he joined Glasgow Rangers where glimpses of the old Gazza fuelled hope that his career was back on tracks. In 1996 he was crowned Scottish Player of the Year and a hat-trick against Aberdeen scooped the Premiership title for the Ibrox outfit. That summer, he scored two amazing goals during Euro 96 against Scotland and Holland and it looked like Gazza had recovered his magic. After the tournament, he married model Sheryl Kyle. His family said it was doomed to fail. Despite having a child together, Regan, now nine and the son on whom Gazza dotes, the relationship did indeed breakdown. Gascoigne admitted beating Sheryl in a series of drunken rages. He claimed to be sorry and the couple enjoyed a string of on-off reunions. The latest break-up three years ago was said to be the most acrimonious yet and Gazza and Sheryl are now said to be barely speaking. Attempts to reignite his career, firstly with Rangers in 1995 and then three years later at Middlesbrough, fell flat on their face with Gazza's off-the-pitch antics still causing controversy. His shock at being excluded from the World Cup squad in 1998 was not shared by the fans who were growing tired of reading about his debauched lifestyle. It was a photo of a boozed-up and overweight Gazza sharing a kebab with celeb pal Chris Evans before England manager Glenn Hoddle announced his squad which sealed his fate. Despite spells of sobriety, he continued to drink heavily and a move to Everton in 2000 confirmed he was past his best. From there he went on loan to First Division Burnley and was released on his return to the Toffees. Determined to stay in the game, he surprised everyone by signing a one-year deal with struggling Chinese B-league side Gansu Tianma. But just a few months later the move turned sour and Gazza returned to Britain. He joined Wolves for training but left a month later before a brief spell at lowly Boston United as player-coach. Just 39 days into Gazza's managerial career with Kettering, chairman Imraan Ladak had had enough. He claimed Gascoigne was "under the influence of alcohol before, during and after several first-team games and training sessions". The reputation of Paul Gascoigne, one of England's finest ever players, is now in tatters. | 
Tyne Bridge Publishing
