Paul Gascoigne went fishing in Wembley bath (and then tackled Scotland at Euro 96)

GARETH SOUTHGATE does a nice line in nostalgia.

The country’s interim coach knew everybody would be fishing for his favourite England-Scotland story this week.

And without hesitation, he settled on Paul Gascoigne.

Not the goal or the Dentist’s Chair celebration that followed after flicking the ball over Colin Hendry and drilling his effort beyond Andy Goram at Euro 96.

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Before that happened, Gazza had been fishing . . . in the enormous baths at the old Wembley stadium.

Southgate said: “Bryan Robson made him a fishing rod out of the medical skip. He was fishing in the baths at Wembley, pretend fishing, because that was the only time he ever relaxed!

“He used to go with David Seaman during the week, just to get out of everybody’s hair for a couple of hours. God knows what he was actually fishing for — whatever might have been floating in the bath, which is probably more pleasant before the game than it was after!”

As crazy and colourful as Gazza was, you just know we will probably never see his like again on a football field.

It is impossible to think that a cheeky young scamp such as Jack Wilshere could get away with a stunt like that in the moments before Friday’s clash with the Auld Enemy at Wembley.

Everything is so serious, so meticulous, all brought on by years of abject failure.

It is all so regimented now, with everybody expected to fall into line behind the FA and their very exacting standards.

Back in the day, Gazza was a one-off, though.

Southgate added: “In my time in football, Gazza would be unique in terms of personality.

“He was playing for Rangers at the time, I’m not sure emotional control was his style.

“Whether a character like that could come through the academy system the same way I don’t know.

“Only Gazza could remember to do the celebration he was going to do after scoring.

“How does it even cross your mind? ‘Oh yes, got to do the Dentist’s Chair’.”

Ah, yes, the Dentist’s Chair.

The famous team bonding night in Hong Kong for England’s players, strapped to a leather chair as a barman poured Drambuie and tequila down their throats.

As you would imagine Southgate, one of the youngest players then in England set-up, was nowhere near any of it.

Southgate recalled: “The night of the Dentist’s Chair, Terry Venables had cut the squad, leaving out Ugo Ehiogu, Dennis Wise, Peter Beardsley, Rob Lee and Jason Wilcox.

“I had got pally with Stuart Pearce and said, ‘We’re having a night out with the lads’.

“He said: ‘No. In my experience of England, if you go out for a drink it’s as if nobody has ever drunk in their lives. So my advice to you is swerve it’.

“I’d only just got in the squad. Sometimes advice like that is good.”

This week, Southgate will pass on some of his own.

The idea of a squad night out is all well and good but Southgate knows the pitfalls.

He added: “A night out like that now would be riddled with concern. You go out now and everybody has a camera phone, so it’s difficult to be really private and enjoy yourselves.

“After we won the Toulon tournament in the summer, the players and staff were in the bar sharing a couple of drinks. It’s important to celebrate the end of the season, we have won a trophy, you should enjoy those moments as well. We live in a world where it’s about work. Those moments bond teams.

“That’s what sport is about but it’s a difficult balance.”

Preparing the country for a World Cup qualifier at Wembley against the Scots is Southgate’s latest challenge.

The days of Gazza, colourful as they are to recall, are now behind Southgate. Sure, there was a twinkle in Southgate’s eye when he spoke about him, laughing at his crazy stunts and admiring his god-given talents with the ball.

They are just memories now, nothing more.

This week he will remind his players just how important it is to come off the pitch with mud on their shorts against Gordon Strachan’s side.

The thirst for some blood- curdling challenges out there on Friday night has not been lost on Southgate.
He knows the score when it comes to the visit of Scotland.

Southgate added: “You want to be involved on nights like this. I will show the players a montage of some historical stuff.

“Some of the current squad are in a couple of the clips. That, along with caps and medals, is what football is all about.

“You play for England and are only looking after the shirt for the next person to come through. So there’s some humility about that.”

Southgate respects the occasion, the visit of England’s oldest rival for a World Cup qualifier at Wembley.
In an era when international football is getting a good kicking, this one is guaranteed to stir at some stage.

He added: “I was pitchside for the last England-Scotland game in 2013 and the atmosphere was incredible.

“It’s a special fixture. If I go back to my days working as a broadcaster, viewing figures will be five times that of a Premier League game Friday night.

“It will capture the imagination — what more could you want?”

All that is left now is to catch one of international football’s little fishes.