Gazza: I rejected Dalglish and Liverpool; then Fergie and Man Utd before Spurs move | OneFootball

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·15 June 2021

Gazza: I rejected Dalglish and Liverpool; then Fergie and Man Utd before Spurs move

Article image:Gazza: I rejected Dalglish and Liverpool; then Fergie and Man Utd before Spurs move

Paul Gascoigne admits he turned down Sir Kenny Dalglish before doing the same to Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of joining Terry Venables' Tottenham.

Gazza has recalled his departure from Newcastle United to Tottenham on talkSPORT.


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"I didn't want to leave but I had no choice," Gascoigne said about that British record transfer.

"Jack Charlton said, 'I heard you want to leave?' I said, 'I might want to'. He said, 'Well, you're going to sign this piece of paper, a four-year contract' and I panicked because it was Jack Charlton. I signed it and thought, 'That's me here for another four years'.

"I remember going home and saying, 'Dad, I've signed for another four years'. He said, 'Ah, that's all right. You've got plenty of time left' and then the phone went and it was Kenny Dalglish.

"I looked at my Dad and went, 'Dad! Kenny Dalglish!' So I spoke to Kenny Dalglish. I put the phone down and my Dad said, 'What did he say?' I said, 'Dad, I did not understand a f------ word he said' so I think that deal went out the window.

"Newcastle wanted £2.2 million for me. Liverpool were only going to pay £2 million because they were signing [Ian] Rush back from Juventus so Kenny Dalglish said, 'Can you wait another year?'

"I said, 'I don't know if I can. We've just sold Chris Waddle. We've just sold Peter Beardsley.' I played really well to keep us up there in the First Division at that time so my Dad went, 'Just keep on playing well'.

"Then it was Sir Alex Ferguson who rang so I looked at my Dad and went, 'Dad! Sir Alex Ferguson!' He went, 'I told you son!'

"I spoke to him and said, 'I'm definitely going to sign' so he went, 'I'm going on holiday and when I come back, you're signing for Man United? You'll be at Old Trafford?' I went, 'Yeah, definitely'.

"I was so excited. 'In two days, Dad, I'm signing for Man United. Get in! They're going to pay the £2.2. I'm definitely going'.

"Then the phone went and it was Spurs. I said, 'Hello?' He said, 'It's Irving Scholar, the chairman'.

"I said, 'Hold on. Dad! It's Spurs!' He said, 'You're not signing for Spurs. You're going to Man United'.

"I said, 'Sorry. I think I'm going to be going to Man United'. He said, 'Well, what we will do is we will buy your Mam and Dad a house'.

"I went, 'Oooh! Hold on'. I said, 'Dad! If I sign for Spurs, they are going to buy you and Mam a house!'. He said, 'Well, what the f------ hell are you waiting for son?'

"I went, 'OK. I think I might be signing for you' and my Dad went, 'Tell them I need a car'. I went, 'And my Dad wants a car'. He went, 'We will give him one'. "My Dad said, 'I want a BMW and also I'll find the house'. He hadn't even left the settee!

"As I'm driving there to Tottenham, I passed Old Trafford and I'm honestly shaking. I said, 'Alex Ferguson is going to go off it with me'. I was petrified.

"I'm about a mile away from getting to Spurs and my phone goes and it's my sister. I said, 'What do you want?' She said, 'Well, my Mam is getting a house. My Dad's getting a car. I want a sunbed'. I think the deal was done on a sunbed.

"When I signed for Spurs, I got fan mail by the dozens and I'm thinking, 'Wow!' and I got this big one. I thought, 'Oooh! I wonder who this is off?' I opened it up and it was from Sir Alex Ferguson: 'You stupid, fat b------'. He hammered me.

"He said, 'I had the chance to be manager of Barcelona, [Real] Madrid and all the top teams but I chose the biggest club in the world, Man United'.

"It took him six years to speak to me again."

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