Paul Gascoigne is arguably the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his generation. Yet as he approaches his mid-30s, he is in danger of becoming a national joke. This authoritative biography of a footballing genius seeks to explain this apparent contradiction.
By talking to the coaches who have tried to guide Gascoigne's talent, and the mentors who have influenced him, author Paul Simpson here attempts to redress the balance by focusing on the one reason we still care about Gazza - his football. Daft as a brush, endearing, irritating and inspiring, as a footballer he has defined our nation for a decade now. We cried with him in Turin, laughed with him in the Indian summer of Euro 96 and, nervously, calculated the odds as he joined Everton to mount one last comeback to prove himself, the game and the world that he still has it in him.
