Steven Gerrard's support for '˜hero' Paul Gascoigne
Gascoigne, a former Rangers star, was due to be inducted at a Glasgow dinner this weekend but organisers cited “a number of factors including ongoing enquiries and concerns over the state of Paul’s health” for the decision.
The U-turn came on the back of reports that several Scottish Football Association board members were set to snub the event in relation to concerns over Gascoigne’s suitability for the honour.
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Hide Ad“Paul Gascoigne is my hero,” said Gerrard. “A player I admired an awful lot.
“I bought the VHSs, the CDs, the shirts - all the memorabilia that comes with Gazza.
“He’s my hero, so I’m disappointed for him of course.
“It’s a shame because as a player and a talent and a man, he deserves to be in there.
“I don’t know the circumstances (behind the decision) so I’ve got nothing more to add to it.
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Hide Ad“But I’d just like to echo that fact that I love Paul Gascoigne and that’s all I need to say on it.”
Gascoigne recently wrote on Twitter: “I don’t need to be in The Scottish Hall of Fame to be be recognised as one of the best
“I feel the love & support of the People and know I was the best.”
The former England midfielder also directed footage of his Euro 96 goal against Scotland to the SFA’s official Twitter account with the message: “NO HARD FEELINGS xxxx”.
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Hide AdFormer Rangers boss Ally McCoist - who played alongside Gascoigne - cited the news as an “embarrassment” when speaking on talkSPORT, calling him “one of the players to brighten up Scottish football over the last 30 to 40 years”.