England legend Paul Gascoigne has criticised the lack of emotion shown by some players when scoring for the national team, saying their muted celebrations drive me nuts. Thomas Tuchels side are preparing for four Nations League fixtures, beginning with a meeting against World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday.England will then face Czechia twice and Croatia as Tuchel continues to shape his squad ahead of the next major tournament.Gascoigne, who earned 57 caps and became one of the iconic figures of the national team during the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96, believes representing England should mean more to the current generation.I loved playing for my country. You know, putting on that white shirt, I just thought of my family, made them proud, Gascoigne told talkSPORT. Its quite emotional now talking about it. Playing for your country means so much.I see some of the players when they score and they dont really celebrate. And that drives me nuts.Gascoigne recalled a story from his early days with England to underline how much scoring for his country meant to him.I scored and there was no one in the crowd. So I jumped over the fence and celebrated on the motorway.Gascoigne questions England withdrawalsGascoigne also criticised the number of players who have withdrawn from Tuchels latest England squad.Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Tino Livramento and Kobbie Mainoo have all pulled out of the group for the four Nations League matches, with The Athletic suggesting the players are out because of their accumulated minutes over a sustained period of time.Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner have subsequently been called up, while John Stones, Reece James and Djed Spence were already unavailable through injury.Cole Palmer is also absent from the squad after being overlooked for Englands World Cup campaign in North America.You see some of them and they pull out the squad. Its not very good, Gascoigne said. Topics England National Football Team Nations League Paul Gascoigne Thomas Tuchel UEFA Nations League World Cup World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Portugal v Wales: Preview, line-ups, stats and where to watch Cristiano Ronaldo Ben Miller 23rd September, 2026 Tottenham defender Pedro Porro set to miss four weeks with hamstring injury Mitch Fretton 23rd September, 2026 Netherlands v Germany: Preview, line-ups, stats and where to watch Ben Miller 23rd September, 2026 Benjamin Sesko vows to fully dedicate himself to recovery from shin injury Mitch Fretton 22nd September, 2026 England squad announcement: Full list for Nations League 2026 Ben Miller 22nd September, 2026 England face the world champions as Klopp, Xavi and Zidane make bows: Five Nations League games to look out for Cian Cheesbrough 21st September, 2026
