Paul Gascoigne is the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his generation. Yet as he approaches his mid-30s, he is in danger of becoming a national joke. This authoritative biography of a footballing genius seeks to explain this apparent contradiction. Gascoigne has always been a footballer the media has been quick to criticise and slow to understand. His off-the-pitch activities usually generate more column inches than any flashes of brilliance on the pitch but Gazza is something more than a tabloid buffoon. At his best he is a compelling confirmation of the reason millions of fans still go to football matches every week to see the sublime skill, the magical improvisation that makes the heart beat faster. By talking to the coaches who tried to guide Gascoigne's talent, and the mentors who have influenced him, author Paul Simpson here attempts to redress the balance by focusing on the one reason we still care about Gazza - his football. Daft as a brush, endearing, irritating and inspiring, as a footballer he has defined our nation for a decade now. We cried with him in Turin, laughed with him in the Indian summer of Euro 96 and, nervously, calculated the odds as he joined Everton to mount one last comeback to prove to himself, the game and the world that he still has in it him. The Great Footballers series is a wonderful celebration of the world's finest players as chosen by FourFourTwo - the definitive magazine for passionate, discerning football fans.