Football legend Paul Gascoigne tells Max and Helen about his semi-final heartbreak with England
Gazza speaks of semi-final heartbreak
Paul Gascoigne's magnificent football talents were further exemplified when he revealed on
Soccer AM his wonder goal against Scotland at Euro 96 was scored with someone else's boots - and they didn't even fit!
The former Spurs and Newcastle midfielder told Max and Helen that, having left his boots behind he was forced to borrow a pair from Teddy Sheringham.
"I was actually wearing Teddy Sheringham's football boots," he told
Soccer AM. "I forgot mine and left them in the hotel so I had to find someone who was wearing boots with the same sponsor as me.
"Teddy was Adidas as well but the problem was he was a size ten and a half and I was only a nine.
"The boots were really old and had a rip down the side. I was worried about my sock coming out.
"After the game I signed them and he took them back," added Gascoigne, before joking: "Knowing Teddy he's probably put that on Ebay!"
An inch short
England eventually crashed out of that tournament on penalties to Germany at the semi-final stage. In the dying minutes of extra time Gascoigne nearly latched onto a Alan Shearer cross to score the decisive goal, but his outstretched leg fell just short.
"If that was the other way around and I was crossing for Alan Shearer he would have scored," said the former Spurs and Newcastle star.
"It was a great cross but I thought the keeper was going to get a touch so I thought I would hang back and tap it in.
"One inch and we would have been in the final. We would have won that. I was gutted."
Best ever
Gascoigne had already experienced heart break with England - losing the 1990 World Cup semi-final on penalties, against West Germany.
However, he is convinced that the 1990 England side is the best of all-time.
"You get players talking about the best ever England team, well, for me the 1990 team were the best. When have England ever been to the semi-final of the World Cup? This was the best team.
"I was very lucky to be there in that side. Football players don't normally come into their prime until they are 26 or 27. Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, they're still young, they'll only get better. Steven Gerrard is 28 and look at him, he's fantastic.
"I was only 23 and all the squad helped me while I was there. I had Brian Robson doing all the running, Gary Lineker putting the ball in the back of the net, it was fantastic.
"That was one of the best times in my life."
Shearer the saviour
Gascoigne also told
Soccer AM he is hopeful Shearer can guide his old club, Newcastle, away from the Premier League relegation zone.
"Shearer's got them up for it - I know that for a fact," he said. "The training ground is buzzing, everyone's on a high and hopefully they can get a result against Tottenham tomorrow.
"I think he is going to be a great manager. He talks really well on football and you could see he has got them giving their all - even when they were getting beaten by Chelsea and in the Stoke game you saw them battle right until the end."
