PAUL Gascoigne missed the chance to become the greatest footballer on the planet when he launched himself into the tackle that led to him being stretchered out of the 1991 FA Cup Final.

Gudni Bergsson, a good friend as well as team-mate of Gazza's in his Spurs days, watched from the subs' bench when the Geordie genius' career was threatened by that horrific cruciate ligament injury.

"That injury prevented Gazza going on to become the best in the world, or at least very close," Bergsson recalls of that "bitter-sweet" day when he shared in the Spurs' triumph over Nottingham Forest from the sidelines and saw his pal end up in hospital.

"He was a bit off his pace and had some problems, personal problems, in the aftermath which prevented him really fulfilling his potential to the fullest. That was disappoimting and sad but, saying that, he still achieved a lot in the game. "He was absolutely brilliant in the 1990 World Cup and in 1996 we all remember his goal against Scotland. Perhaps not at his full capacity, he was still a great player and a good mate."