Paul Gascoigne remains one of the most adored figures in Tottenham’s rich history, and though his spell in north London was brief, his impact was unforgettable.
During his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Gascoigne produced countless moments that have become part of club folklore, including that thunderous long-range free-kick against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final.
The Englishman spent just three years in north London, and that was enough for Gascoigne to become a hero among the Tottenham faithful.
His impressive performances helped the club to FA Cup glory in 1991, a fitting reward for a player who gave everything to the shirt during his time in N17.
Paul Gascoigne reflects on his time at Tottenham
Gascoigne has been speaking on talkSport, where he opened up about his time at Tottenham and some of the moments that defined his spell in north London.
The former England international revealed how he often joked with teammates before matches, showing the playful side that made him such a larger-than-life character.
Speaking about his time at Spurs, Gascoigne said: “Tottenham was funny, I used to say to the guys, lads do us a favour before the game. I am really tired of getting man of the match every game, can someone do well today so I do not have to go upstairs again and get pestered?
“Like I would say to the England players, do us a favour guys, just if you are tired give us the ball, I will keep hold of it for five minutes and then you can have it back. Just some of the things I used to say.”
Gascoigne reveals what inspired his confidence and creativity
The England legend was also asked about where his confidence came from despite playing against elite opposition at such a young age.
Gascoigne admitted that much of his inspiration came from watching legends of the game and trying to replicate their brilliance on the training ground.
He said: “I just, I never really, I used to watch the old Match of the Day when I was younger, you know, and I used to watch, I do not know, I watched Cruyff do that turn and I went I am going to try that.
“So I got the ball straight outside and practised straight away, and I just, I do not know, sometimes like some of the stuff I did on the pitch, I was like I did not know how I did it.
“And I would go back home and I would watch it on TV like the old Match of the Day and think God, how did I do that?”
On what kept him driven on the pitch, Gascoigne simply said: “Yeah, I do not know.”