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On the pitch, Paul Gascoigne’s career was packed with highlights and moments of individual genius. Off it, the former midfielder was just as famous for his mischievous personality and his ability to bring team-mates together.
Few players shared more moments together than Chris Waddle, the fellow Geordie who Gazza followed from St James’ Park to Tottenham and would share an England midfield with on 17 occasions.
The pair struck up a particularly close friendship, with their antics at Italia 90 going down in Three Lions folklore.
Gazza on his friendship with Chris Waddle
Gascoigne was never shy of embarking on a prank or two and got plenty of opportunities to cause trouble when he roomed with Waddle for club and country.
Asked to name the person he still regards as his best friend from football, he doesn’t take long to answer. “Chris Waddle, I’ve always been close with him,” Gazza tells FourFourTwo.
“I roomed with him at Spurs and with England. I’ve always had a laugh with him, especially during the World Cup in 1990.”
The set-up in Italy that summer provided the perfect setting for the pair to cause mischief and defuse the tension of a major tournament.
“I always used to wind everyone up, because me and him were up early, and we used to blast the f**king radio. People would shout at us, ‘Get that f**king radio off!’,” he admits.
This was only the start of the pair’s antics, as they quickly realised they were able to make a dent in their teammates’ chocolate bar rations every evening.
“Me and Chris were mad,” he continues. “We were all given a bar of chocolate every night, so I used to steal them from other people’s rooms.”
One on occasion though, Gazza bit off more than he could chew with that particular act of sabotage.
“I went into the wrong room one night, it was dark, opened the fridge and got the chocolate. It was the worst two players I could have picked, f**king Chris Woods and Terry Butcher.
“I ran along the corridor, but Chris whacked me on the back of the head. I went flying, then said, ‘There’s your chocolate back…’”
