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.
Injury nearly robbed Serie A of Paul Gascoigne
Aside from his contributions to the Three Lions – which remarkably only span two major tournaments, speaking to the immense impact he had in such a relatively short time – Gazza is perhaps best known in some circles as the most notable Englishman to arrive on Italian shores during the height of Serie A’s dominance.
The story, which Gascoigne relayed to FourFourTwo in an exclusive sit-down chat, encapsulates the midfielder’s career; misfortune after misfortune dissolved by the force majeure that was his incredible natural ability and irresistible, if not unique, personality.
Lazio were the team to move for the gregarious Geordie, but, as ever with Gazza, it wasn’t an easy tale.
The move had been due to happen in 1991, but was delayed by a year when he damaged his ACL with a wild challenge on Nottingham Forest’s Gary Charles in the FA Cup final.
“Two days later I was supposed to be signing for Lazio for f**king £2million,” he lamented to FourFourTwo, referencing his proposed signing-on fee in a deal worth £5.5m in total.
“I asked the doctor how long I’d be out, if it would be a month, and he said no. I said, ‘Three months?’ He said it was nine and I went, ‘Oh f**k.’
“I just had to knuckle down, but it was hard, on your own in the gym, looking out the window and seeing the lads training.”
Gascoigne, however, worked hard to get back fit, before his extra-curricular activities intercepted his progress again.
He continued: “Then when I was ready to play again, I f**king went out clubbing, got punched and broke my kneecap in half, so I had another eight months out.
“I got fit from all that and eventually made the move to Lazio, then f**king three months in, in training, I kicked Alessandro Nesta by the back of the calf, and did my fibula and tibia.
“Another year-and-a-bit out. I missed maybe four years of international football, but I still managed to get fit again and back to my best.”
Such was his character though, he still found time to ensure his unbreakable sense of humour impressed on his new colleagues, giving each a Teach Yourself English book on arrival at Lazio.
“Yeah, that was because I couldn’t be bothered speaking Italian; you speak English!” he laughed. “But I spoke Italian quite quickly, to be fair.
“The first words I learned were, ‘Show me the money…’”
