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In 1988, Paul Gascoigne is a shining light in English football, a lovable young Geordie from a working-class background whose broad smile and extravagant skills are an antidote to the hooliganism that has beset the game over the previous decade. When he moves to London to join Terry Venables’ Tottenham Hotspur for a British record transfer fee in July of that year, it pushes him firmly into the national spotlight.

‘Gazza’ is perfect for a British tabloid press in the midst of the celebrity-focused circulation war between Rupert Murdoch’s News International and Robert Maxwell’s Mirror Group – he is the best young footballer in the country, the British public can’t help but love him, and he courts attention with his naïve behaviour, love of alcohol and desire to be ‘one of the lads’.

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, a Gazza-inspired England team turn around negative public opinions as they reach the semi-finals, where they meet old rivals West Germany. It is here that Gazza becomes an icon, when a rash tackle leads to a booking and he breaks down in tears at the realisation that it will rule him out of the final if England get there. England go on to lose in a penalty shootout, but those tears of vulnerability in defeat propel him into the heart of the nation, and his life is never the same again.

‘Gazzamania’ is born, as The Sun sign him up and his advisors seek to maximise the commercial possibilities. Those close to Gazza worry about his ability to deal with with the pressure and intense media attention. He finds it increasingly hard to cope, exploding at the 1991 FA Cup final with a series of dangerous tackles, rupturing his knee ligaments in the process.

By 1992 Paul has recovered from his injury and is playing in Italy with Lazio. Despite a promising start, with continued press scrutiny and a tempestuous relationship with girlfriend Sheryl to deal with, his old demons are beginning to resurface.