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Paul Gascoigne As one of my esteemed colleagues once wrote, it is unlikely that Football Italia would have made such an impression on British football fans without Paul Gascoigne. The Gateshead-born playmaker was one of the most gifted footballers of his, or any other, generation, with his style and sense of fun attracting fans from all over the world to Italian football. The England midfielder was playing for Tottenham Hotspur when Lazio signed him in April 1991. However, a mistimed tackle in the FA Cup Final against Nottingham Forest that year left him with a serious cruciate ligament injury. This ultimately meant he missed a full season and did not actually move to Italy until the summer of 1992, for a reduced fee of £5m. His eventual arrival at Rome airport caused scenes of unparalleled chaos, which in retrospect was a sign of things to come. By this time Lazio had a new Coach in Dino Zoff and the Geordie ace made his debut on September 27 in the game against Genoa. His knee was soon tested as the visitors' hardman Mario Bortolazzi sent him crashing to the ground clutching his leg. The whole stadium held its collective breath and Gazza carried a limp until half-time before being substituted. What an introduction. However, he followed that game up with a Man of the Match display the following week against Parma. There were many superb examples of this sublime ability and individuality in his relatively short spell in the Eternal City, but three stand out in particular. In his first derby game against Roma, with the Giallorossi leading 1-0, Gazza latched on to a cross to head in the equaliser, becoming an instant Biancocelesti legend at the same time. Another goal that is still talked about today was his fabulous individual effort against Pescara, where he beat several defenders with swerves and dummies before slotting the ball home. The third act was performed in the return match against Genoa that season after he was dismissed for turning on the brutal Bortolazzi. Against all accepted behaviour, before leaving the pitch Gazza hugged the Genoa defender then shook hands with the referee and several other opponents. “It was something which no other player would have done,” said the previously critical 'Gazzetta dello Sport' and he earned a lot of respect for it. Not a week passed without some incident. In April 1993 he fractured his cheekbone and was forced to wear a Phantom of the Opera style mask. A year later he broke his leg in training, after a clash with a young Alessandro Nesta, and missed most of the season before leaving to join Rangers in July 1995. Yet he will always be remembered in Italy for his special talents, which surely would have seen him on a par with the likes of Diego Maradona, Ruud Gullit, Michel Platini and Roberto Baggio if he had remained fit.

Words: Dave Taylor

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