Gareth Southgate names 'amazing' Rangers icon as best he ever played with

Gareth Southgate has revealed that Rangers legend Paul Gascoigne is the best player he ever played with.

There have been few players to grace a football pitch with more talent and character than Gascoigne.

More commonly referred to as ‘Gazza’, the attacking midfielder is undoubtedly one of English football’s finest ever products.

After starting his career with Newcastle United and enjoying spells with both Tottenham and Lazio respectively, he moved to Rangers in the summer of 1995.

Signed for a then-club-record fee of £4.3million, Gascoigne would go on to forge a legacy over the next three years at Rangers that would see him create some wonderful memories playing for Gers.

What did Gareth Southgate say about Paul Gascoigne?

Gascoigne is the gold standard for Rangers midfielders, but for reasons of both aforementioned ability and personality, it’s a bar that very few, if any, will ever reach.

Walter Smith knew he’d have a challenge on his hands getting the best out of the maverick attacker, but that’s exactly what he did, and ‘Gazza’ has frequently spoken about how much he loved his time in Glasgow over the years.

He played just over 100 times for Rangers and scoring 39 goals, before he was sold back to English football with Middlesbrough in a £3.4m move in March 1998.

Gascoigne left Boro in the summer of 2000, just 12 months before Southgate would sign for the Teesside outfit, meaning the two never played together there.

However, they did share a dressing room many times with England, and so when responding to a question submitted via his official TikTok account, Southgate name-dropped the Rangers icon.

When asked who the best player he’d ever played with was, Southgate said: “Anybody that played in our era would agree, Paul Gascoigne was the greatest talent.

“Now why was that? Well first, he could score goals. Left foot, right foot, headers: he could do all of that.

“He could create goals. Great passer of the ball off either foot. He could receive under pressure, and probably I think the thing that makes the really great players is that ability to go past people, and he could dribble past people.

“He had power, he’d hold you off with that arm, he’d get that arm up and hold you off as he ran by. If you had him in a one-against-one in training he was a nightmare.

“Sometimes you do those practices where you play one-versus-one, whole penalty area; oh my goodness. He’d just run riot.

“Amazing talent, Paul Gascoigne. In my period, playing for England and managing England, he was the most talented player.”

Who is Rangers’ current most Gascoigne-like player?

Firstly, let’s preface this segment by saying that none of the current Rangers team are anywhere near Gascoigne’s level, obviously.

However, if there’s one player in this Gers squad that shares the most resemblance to him, it’s probably Mikey Moore.

The 18-year-old is Rangers’ most exciting and gifted attacking player, and has the ability to drive with the ball past players and score, as well as being able to receive and play with the ball in tight spaces.

He also has that bit of edge and character too, as he certainly plays with passion and with his heart on his sleeve, and like Gascoigne, he too has spoken numerous times on his love for being at Ibrox.

Perhaps if Rangers can find a way to sign him permanently, Moore could go on to have a career in Glasgow that could see him forge a similar legacy.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.