Paul Gascoigne reveals Rangers transfer role of Eric Cantona as Man Utd icon was key to stunning Ibrox switch

Paul Gascoigne has revealed how Manchester United legend Eric Cantona inadvertently played a role in his move to Rangers.

The former England star joined the Light Blues almost 30 years ago in a stunning £4.3 million switch from Italian giants Lazio. It was a major coup for Walter Smith at the time to attract such a huge name in world football, with the Geordie having been one of the stars of the World Cup in Italy just five years earlier.

Gascoigne had suffered due to injuries but still had a host of big clubs chasing his signature - including Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd. Gazza was the latest guest on The Rest Is Football podcast, hosted by his former England team-mates Gary Linker and Alan Shearer as well as ex Manchester City star Micah Richards. And Gascoigne told how Ferguson wanted to sign him in the summer of 1995 but ONLY if Cantona decided to leave after the controversial Frenchman was unsure of his future in English football following his infamous kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace fan which saw him banned for nine months.

Gazza, who had decided his time in Italy was over and just needed to find his next destination, explained: “When I was leaving Lazio I did have the chance (to join Manchester United),” said Gascoigne. I remember ringing up Bryan Robson and saying ‘look I’m leaving Lazio are Man United interested?’

“Fergie was right next to him so I spoke to him and he said ‘look, I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ve got Cantona and if he leaves, I’m going to sign you, but if he stays then because the two of you play in the same position I’m just going to keep Cantona’. Obviously Cantona stayed and I made a great move to Rangers.

“Lazio it had come to the latter years and I was miserable and sad and I had an injury and I had to get that over. I knew I was leaving and I asked (my agent) what teams were involved. He said Chelsea, Glenn Hoddle, and I said ‘I’m not going to him’. The problem with me and Glenn Hoddle was he says ‘Gazza I’ve found God’ and I said ‘that must’ve been a great pass’. But Rangers are a massive club.

“I always watched them how they did and Walter (Smith) when he came over and seen us he said ‘look you seem a bit sad, you come to our club, it’ll put a smile on your face and you’ll enjoy your football again, and there were some good guys like Coisty and Durranty’. I thought that’s all I really needed and I knew how big the club was and on top of that I had Euro 96, so it all come together for us.

“I got some abuse in that dressing room for a few weeks prior to the tournament but I just told the lads ‘look guys, you’ve seen how I play for Rangers but you’ve not seen what I’m like when I play for England’. So to score that goal (against Scotland at the 1996 European Championships) was phenomenal, it was a brilliant feeling. That year was fantastic for me.”