FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

England manager Glenn Hoddle has told back-on-the-fags Paul Gascoigne that he can smoke his way through the World Cup.

The controversial midfielder has regained his smoking habit in recent weeks, puffing away as he helped new club Middlesbrough return to the English Premiership.

With questions over Gascoigne’s fitness still unanswered, the revelation that he is “re-fuelling”  on nicotine saw Hoddle quizzed Tuesday on whether he would clamp down on Gascoigne’s habit. But instead the England boss pointed to the likes of Ossie Ardiles and Gianluca Vialli and made it clear he would not interfere with the midfield player’s personal habits.

“I want Paul to be 100 percent physically and mentally, and I’ve always said he’s got to meet me halfway on that,”   said Hoddle. “In his last four performances for us he’s been terrific. Since then he’s had some little niggles but even though he’s been playing with an ankle injury he’s finished the season.”Now he’s had a week to get it treated and calm down a bit. We’ve got a bit of time and hopefully we’ll get him fit for the World Cup.”  Surely that fitness level can only be harmed by Gascoigne’s return to smoking?

Apparently not.

“Paul’s been smoking since he was in Rome with Lazio, six or seven years,”  said Hoddle. “If I tried to stop him for three weeks now it might have an adverse effect.”   All the things we are doing are aimed at trying to improve their fitness and give us the best possible chance this summer.” But Ossie Ardiles was on 40 a day when he won the World Cup with Argentina, and there’s a fellow called Vialli at Chelsea too. ”  It didn’t bother Ossie and it doesn’t bother me. The boys won’t do it publicly, but if it’s in a private situation, and that’s what they’re doing, that’s fine.” 

Hoddle’s defence of smoking will hardly endear him to the anti-smoking lobby, but the coach is determined to do all he can to make sure his players are “focussed”  ahead of their French challenge. “I won’t be on the shoulders of all 22 day and night, but I will ask them to do certain things,”  he said.

“That will remain private, but there won’t be agents coming to the hotel.”  There are a lot of things we need to make them understand to become focussed, but that’s where my experience as a player in ‘82 and ‘86 comes in.”