- Paul John Gascoigne nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Regarded as one of the best playmakers of his generation and one of the best English footballers of all time
Category: Richest Athletes › Soccer Players
Net Worth: $500 Thousand
Date of Birth: May 27, 1967
Place of Birth: Dunston
Gender: Male
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m)
Profession: Football player
Nationality: England
Paul Gascoigne | Net Worth and Salary
Paul Gascoigne is a former professional footballer who has a net worth of $500 thousand. Paul Gascoigne played from 1985 to 2004 with a number of different clubs. Considered one of the greatest English footballers of all time, he won the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 1991 and later helped lead Rangers to two league titles. Gascoigne also played on the England national team from 1988 to 1998, during which time he famously helped lead the team to the semifinals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Blown Fortune
At his peak, Paul Gascoigne’s net worth was around $30 or $40 million. Unfortunately during his dark period of alcoholism, he blew through the majority of that fortune and by 2016 he was on the verge of bankruptcy after facing a £60,000 tax bill. At his lowest point he was reportedly in debt to the tune of £200,000.
Speaking to the Mirror newspaper in 2020 Paul revealed:
“I’ve probably got through about £20 million when you take into account royalty payments, wages, sponsorship deals. I’ve bought some lovely clothes, jewellery, had some great holidays, I’ve really enjoyed it. “I gave a lot of money away to family. I’m not materialistic. If I was to wind my life back, I’d do it all again. I am happy.”
Highest Paid Soccer Player
When Paul moved over to Tottenham Hotspur in the early 1990s, his salary was $3 million per year. That made him the highest-paid soccer player in England at the time. Earning $3 million in 1991 is the same as earning $7 million today.
Early Life and Education
Paul Gascoigne was born on May 27, 1967 in Gateshead, England to factory worker Carol and hod carrier John. He was educated at Breckenbeds Junior High School and Heathfield Senior High School. After undergoing unsuccessful trials with a few football clubs as a youth, Gascoigne was finally signed by Newcastle United in 1980. Although he performed well with the club, his life off the field was very tumultuous, marked by the death of a friend’s younger brother and his father’s experiences having seizures. As a result of these events, Gascoigne started developing obsessions and twitches, and went into therapy. He also became addicted to gaming machines, and would shoplift to fund his addiction. Back on the field, Gascoigne captained the youth team of Newcastle United to the FA Youth Cup in the 1984-85 season.
Newcastle United
After playing for Newcastle United’s youth team, Gascoigne made his first-team debut in the spring of 1985. That season, he recorded nine goals. The following season, he scored five goals in 24 league games. For the 1987-88 season, his final with Newcastle, Gascoigne was named the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Tottenham Hotspur
In 1988, Gascoigne signed with Tottenham Hotspur. He had a very strong first season with the club, scoring seven goals and helping Tottenham to sixth place in the First Division. The club rose to third place in the 1989-90 season, and in the 1990-91 season, Gascoigne was named to the PFA Team of the Year as Tottenham reached the FA Cup final. Although Gascoigne suffered a knee injury that saw him being carried out on a stretcher during the final, Tottenham beat Nottingham Forest to claim the FA Cup. He went on to miss the entirety of the 1991-92 season while recovering.
Lazio
Gascoigne signed with the Italian club Lazio in 1992. However, he was unable to fully adapt to life in Italy and was besieged by negative press, causing him to punch reporters on several occasions. While he endeared himself to the club’s fans, Gascoigne was despised by Lazio owner Sergio Cragnotti. Making matters worse was the fact that he was badly out of shape by the 1993-94 season, prompting him to undergo an extreme weight loss regimen. Finally pushed over the edge by the arrival of coach Zdeněk Zeman, Gascoigne left Lazio at the end of the 1994-95 season.
Rangers
After being visited by Rangers manager Walter Smith in the summer of 1995, Gascoigne signed with the club. In the upcoming season, he scored 19 goals in 42 total appearances as Rangers won both the Scottish Premier Division and the Scottish League Cup. The club won the league title again in the 1996-97 season, as well as another Scottish League Cup. However, it was around this time that Gascoigne began developing an addiction to alcohol. Moreover, in late 1997, he received a five-match ban for violent conduct during the Old Firm derby, and in early 1998 elicited controversy for making a gesture that upset Celtic fans. That season, the Rangers failed to win any trophies.
Middlesbrough
Gascoigne returned to England in March of 1998 to join Middlesbrough. He ended up playing seven games in the First Division to close out the season, helping the club into the Premier League as runners-up to Nottingham Forest. In the 1998-99 season, Middlesbrough finished in ninth place. Gascoigne fell into a major slump in 1999-2000 due to a broken arm, which was followed by a three-match ban and a fine from the Football Association for elbowing Aston Villa’s George Boateng in the head.
Everton
In the summer of 2000, Gascoigne joined Everton on a free transfer. He subsequently signed a two-year contract with the club. Although he started the 2000-01 season on a promising note, a number of injuries and his ongoing depression took him out of play by Christmas. Following a stint in rehab in Arizona, Gascoigne returned to Everton for the 2001-02 season and scored his final goal in English football. He then suffered a hernia injury, which sidelined him for three months. Gascoigne left Everton shortly after David Moyes replaced Walter Smith as manager in March of 2002.
Final Playing Years
After leaving Everton, Gascoigne finished the 2001-02 season with Burnley, which just narrowly missed the playoffs. In early 2003, he signed a nine-month contract with the China League One club Gansu Tianma, as both a player and coach. However, Gascoigne’s alcoholism and depression caught up with him, and he left the club for good in April. The following year, he signed as a player-coach with the League Two side Boston United, for which he made five appearances before leaving.
International Career
Gascoigne had great success playing with the England national team on the international stage. He began with the England under-21 team in 1987 before being called up to the full squad in 1988. Gascoigne went on to play in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where England came in fourth place. During the semifinal against West Germany, he famously cried after receiving a yellow card. Later, Gascoigne and England played in Euro 96, where they reached the semifinals. During the tournament, Gascoigne made an iconic goal against Scotland that was followed by the infamous “dentist’s chair” celebration. In 1997, Gascoigne helped England win the Tournoi de France. Although he was slated to play in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he lost his squad position after pictures were published in the tabloids showing him eating kebabs late at night with DJ Chris Evans. The pictures upset manager Glenn Hoddle, who decided not to include Gascoigne in the final squad. Enraged, Gascoigne destroyed Hoddle’s room and had to be restrained. He would not play for England again.
Post-Professional Playing Career
In mid-2005, Gascoigne had a two-month stint as a player-coach at the newly founded Portuguese club Algarve United, and then returned to England when a proposed contract never came to fruition. He was subsequently made manager of the Conference North club Kettering Town, a position he held for just 39 days before being dismissed due to his alcoholism.
In the summer of 2009, Gascoigne appeared on a special sports edition of the BBC television quiz show “The Weakest Link.” The next day, he played in a charity football match to raise funds for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. In 2014, Gascoigne signed with the amateur football club Abbey in the Bournemouth Sunday League.
Personal Life
Gascoigne married his longtime girlfriend Sheryl Failes in the summer of 1996. Together, they had a son named Regan; Gascoigne also adopted Sheryl’s two children Mason and Bianca Gascoigne. Gascoigne was physically abusive toward his wife, and the pair divorced in early 1999.
Gascoigne has battled alcoholism and mental health issues for much of his adult life. He has been treated for OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and various substance addictions. Gascoigne has penned three autobiographies: “Gazza: My Story,” “Being Gazza: Tackling My Demons,” and “Glorious: My World, Football and Me.”
