Paul John Gascoigne, also known as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Considered one of the finest midfielders of his era and one of the greatest English footballers of all time, Gascoigne was extremely popular during his career, even being described by television broadcaster Terry Wogan as “probably the most popular man in Britain today” in September 1990, sparking a phenomenon known as “Gazamania”.
Gascoigne won 57 caps for England between 1988 and 1998, scoring 10 goals. He was part of the England team that finished fourth at the 1990 World Cup and helped England reach the semi-finals of the 1996 European Championship, including a memorable goal against Scotland.
contour
- Full name: Paul John Gascoigne
- Nickname: Gazza
- Date of Birth: May 27, 1967
- Age as of 2024: 57
- Sex: Male
- Birthplace: Gateshead, England
- Nationality: British
- Occupation: Former professional football player
- Height: 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm)
- Parents: John Gascoigne and Carol Gascoigne
- Siblings: Carl Gascoigne, Lindsay Gascoigne, Anna Marie Gascoigne
- Spouse: Cheryl Gascoigne (married 1996-1998)
- Children: Bianca Gascoigne, Mason Gascoigne, Reagan Gascoigne
- Marital status: Divorced
- Net worth: £100,000
Early life and education
Paul Gascoigne, 57, was born in Gateshead, England, on May 27, 1967. He grew up in a working-class family, his father John Gascoigne was a bricklayer, and his mother Carol Gascoigne was a cleaner. Gascoigne and his siblings Carl, Lindsay and Annemarie had a simple upbringing in the town of Gateshead.
He was named Paul John Gascoigne, in honor of Paul McCartney and John Lennon of The Beatles, and his grandparents were of Irish descent.
He attended Brackenbeath Junior School and later Heathfield High School in the Low Fell area of Gateshead. Gascoigne was noticed by football scouts while playing for Gateshead Boys but did not perform well on trial with Ipswich Town.
Despite his success on the football field, Gascoigne’s childhood was marked by turmoil and tragedy. He witnessed the death of a friend’s younger brother in a car accident when he was ten, while around the same time his father began to suffer epileptic seizures.
personal life
Gascoigne tied the knot with his long-term partner Cheryl Firth in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, in July 1996, after dating for about six years.
He later admitted to being violent towards Cheryl during their marriage. They officially divorced in early 1999. In 2009, Cheryl published a tell-all book titled Stronger: My Way of Survival.
Gascoigne and Cheryl have a son, Reagan, and have adopted two children from Cheryl’s previous marriage, Mason and Bianca. Bianca is a well-known model and television personality who has appeared on reality TV shows Love Island.
The friendship between Gascoigne, Danny Baker and Chris Evans was well known during the 1990s, with Gascoigne appearing regularly on Talksport and TFI Friday.
In October 2004, Gascoigne announced that he wished to be known as G8, a combination of his surname’s initials and his shirt number, as it symbolised “greatness”.
Profession
In the 1984-85 season, Gascoigne led the Newcastle United youth team to win the FA Youth Cup and scored twice against Watford in the final. The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw, and teammate Joe Aaron pointed out that Newcastle had performed poorly.
Gascoigne played a key role in the second leg and caught the eye of manager Jack Charlton. Despite Charlton’s promise of first-team action, Gascoigne was not selected for the next game against Norwich City.
In 1985, Gascoigne made his first-team debut, replacing George Reilly against Queens Park Rangers. Charlton’s manager felt that Gascoigne’s playing time was insufficient, but Gascoigne signed a contract with Newcastle United and Charlton offered him a generous salary.
In the 1985-86 season, under manager Willie McFall, Gascoigne replaced Chris Waddle and scored his first goal against Oxford United. He continued his excellent form the following season, scoring five goals in 24 league games as Newcastle United finished 17th in the First Division.
Awards
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1988
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1988
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 1990 (2nd place)
net worth
According to various sources, Paul Gascoigne’s net worth is estimated to be £100,000.
dispute
In November 2008, Gascoigne faced bankruptcy proceedings due to owing £200,000 in taxes, as he had not filed any tax returns for over two years. On 25 May 2011, he managed to avoid being declared bankrupt at the High Court in London, despite still owing £32,000.
social media
- Instagram: @paul_gascoigne8
- Twitter: @Paul_Gascoigne8
books
- Gazza: My Story (year 2004)
- Being Gazza: Overcoming My Demons (2006)
- Glory: My World, Football and Me (year 2011)
