Gascoigne

Documentary portrait of the mercurial football genius who inspired the game’s modern renaissance while battling personal demons.

Documentary portrait of the mercurial football genius Paul Gascoigne, the former England star who played for Tottenham, Glasgow Rangers and Newcastle, among others. The key player from England’s run to the semi-finals of Italia ’90 World Cup, Gascoigne returned to a hero’s welcome in the UK, in the process becoming a key figure in football’s mid-1990s re-emergence as an increasingly modern, broad and inclusive sport.

But away from the game he was plagued by personal demons, destructive urges and the inescapable intrusions of the tabloid press. With contributions from former team-mates and associates including Gary Lineker and Jose Mourinho, Jane Preston’s revealing documentary is a cautionary tale of the pressures of top-level sport, but also a celebration of a supreme talent.