Paul Gascoigne is one of the most talented footballers England has ever produced.
Indeed, Gazza was an absolute delight of a footballer, and, what’s more is, he played without fear.
Gazza wasn’t scared of anything, and sometimes, that wasn’t to his own benefit.
The midfielder injured himself in the 1991 FA Cup final due to his fearlessness as he flew into a reckless challenge, while he’s landed himself in trouble with his pranks on the training ground too, including bringing an ostrich to training and planting a snake in a teammate’s pocket.
Gascoigne wasn’t even scared by the idea of rejecting Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Paul Gascoigne didn’t seem to know the meaning of fear as a player, but, interestingly, there is one player he was scared of.
Speaking to The Sun back in 2018, Gascoigne claimed that Vinnie Jones was his toughest ever opponent, claiming that he’s the only player he was ever scared of on the pitch.
Vinnie Jones was Paul Gascoigne’s toughest opponent
Gazza spoke about how he felt when he had to play against Jones.
The England star says that he used to fear Jones on the pitch, naming him as his toughest ever opponent.
Of course, Jones and Gascoigne had a famous clash on the pitch in 1988 when Jones grabbed Gascoigne in the one area any man wouldn’t want to be grabbed.
“I remember walking along the corridor at Elland Road when Tottenham played at Leeds and seeing Vinnie in the gym, pumping iron, ripped to bits,” Gascoigne said.
“I’d forgotten he’d just signed for Leeds and I was going, ‘Oh s***’. He was my toughest opponent ever, without a shadow of a doubt.
“He was the only player I was ever worried about playing against and it was always a scary 90 minutes. But I would have loved him in my team to protect me.”
What Vinnie Jones has said about Paul Gascoigne
Gascoigne may have feared Jones on the pitch, but, since their playing careers ended, these two have become good friends.
Indeed, Jones and Gascoigne actually filmed a TV show together a few years ago where they enjoyed an afternoon of fishing.
During that show, Jones made it clear just how much he loves Gazza as a friend, despite their on-field battles.
“The press made out we hated each other, but we didn’t I did a job on the day,” Jones said.
“If we’d lost 3-0, I would’ve been the laughing stock, but then afterwards we had a laugh and got on really well and everything else.
“I see a lot of Gazza in me, our relationship now, he’s like a younger brother, I feel like this sixth sense with us.”
Gascoigne may have been scared of playing against Jones, but, interestingly, he often got the better of the future movie star.
Gascoigne and Jones faced off six times in their careers, and Gascoigne won the majority of those battles, even scoring a goal in one of those games.
| Paul Gascoigne record vs Vinnie Jones | |
|---|---|
| 6 | |
| Wins | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Goals | 1 |
Regardless of their rivalry, Gascoigne and Jones are certainly two of the most iconic figures in English football history for their incredible talent and incredible personalities.
