The 1990 World Cup has a special place in the heart of any football fan of that era.
The national sport was not in a good place at the end of the 1980s, with English fans carrying a reputation for hooliganism, fueled by events like the Heysel Stadium disaster, while the harrowing scenes of the Bradford City fire and Hillsborough were still fresh in the memory.
But Italia 90 would prove to be a turning point, as Sir Bobby Robsons sides run to the semi-finals helped to shift the public perception of the game, laying the groundwork for the new Premier League in the process.
Gazza on his Italia 90 performances
The figurehead of this revival was undoubtedly Paul Gascoigne, whose performances - and lashings of personality - made him a household name as Gazzamania swept across the country.
The 58-year-old still captures the publics imagination like few other players since, but even Gazza himself doubted that he would play such a part in Italy during that fateful summer.
Thats why I got No.19 for that World Cup I was the 19th player, he recalls to FourFourTwo. Before the tournament, wed played Tunisia away, I tried to play a passback and they scored. I thought, Im not going to play now.
Bobby Robson put his arm around Gazza though and made it clear he still had faith. Englands opening game of Italia 90 was only his sixth start for his country, but he was in no danger of relinquishing his spot from there.
Why did tournament football always get the best out of him? Because we didnt invite the wives! he laughs. At some World Cups, the wives have had more publicity than the players, and thats not right. The players should just solely concentrate for one month or five weeks on the World Cup, thats it.
Bobby Robson wouldnt even let us watch the TV, no newspapers, nothing. We were lucky to make a phone call back home to find out what was going on. We were only concentrating on the football.
Did that lack of distractions help? Yeah, because the players bonded, he says. I remember all of us together around the pool, relaxing. It was my birthday during the World Cup and I got a cake whacked in my face! The squad was f**king unbelievable, from Peter Shilton all the way up to Gary Lineker.
Gascoignes success under Robson came after he had an unsuccessful trial at Robsons Ipswich Town as a youngster, something he didnt let the gaffer forget We had a dinner one night, it was packed full with Bobby Robsons friends and people from the FA I dont know why but I decided to stand up and do a speech, just about myself, he laughs. It was funny. I said, I first met Bobby Robson when I was 12, and he offered us 10 grand a week, but I wouldnt take a job for no-one!
An anxious flyer, he was sometimes invited into the cockpit during flights to calm his nerves. In his book, he explains that on the journey to the quarter-final with Cameroon in Naples, he was briefly allowed to take over the controls, which inevitably led to him turning the England teams plane off course. I took over the aeroplane and told the pilot where to f**king go it went about three miles to the right! he laughs now.
By the time the semi-final clash with West Germany in Turin arrived, Gazzas displays were being widely lauded. The best bit about the entire tournament was that I knew I was the best player in the world, he looks back. In the tunnel before the semi-final, someone from Juventus said they wanted to sign me after the World Cup so I had that going through my head as I was walking out onto the pitch.
Paul Gascoigne: Eight (published by Reach Sport) is on sale now in print, ebook and audiobook
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