Anyone who watched Paul Gascoigne in his prime will be able to point to one of the most gifted players of his generation, but as the former midfielder turns 55 there will be as much pain as joy over a career that could have been very different.
One of the stars of the 1990 World Cup, the midfielder had the talent to stay at the top for as long as he wanted. However, off-field struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues have made things difficult for the Gateshead-born star.
As Gascoigne marks his 55th birthday, he is nearly two decades removed from his final professional appearance, and even further from his final top-flight game. Here, Mirror Football examines Gazza's highs, lows and what-might-have-beens.
Tragedy first impacted Gascoigne when he was just a child, He would later open up about seeing his friend Stephen Spraggon die in his arms, and the moment unsurprisingly stayed with him.
"I was on my own with him for what seemed like ages," he recalled after his friend was knocked down and killed by an ice cream van. "It was the first dead body I'd ever seen and I felt Stephen's death was my fault. I still go over the accident in my mind. Just speaking of it can make me cry."
Later in life, speaking on Anything Goes with James English, Gascoigne recalled holding Stephen in his arms and thinking he was going to be okay. The experience impacted him deeply, with the young footballer developing tics and twitches in the years to come, but he was still able to turn his talent into a career, which, for a while, suggested he'd be capable of anything.
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After starting out with boyhood club Newcastle United, a move down south to Tottenham Hotspur allowed Gascoigne to really kick on for club and country. He scored his first England goal while on Spurs' books, leading to a call-up for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
For one summer, he looked capable of anything, and England looked capable of anything because of him. It was his ball for David Platt that helped Bobby Robson's side record a last-gasp win over Belgium in the last 16, and the youngest member of the squad looked the most likely to make something happen as the Three Lions took on Germany for a place in the final.
However, as we now know, a yellow card - and the ensuing suspension - was the first of many heartbreaking moments for Gazza in an England shirt. His tears in Turin are unmistakable, arising in any and every England montage, and they feel as vivid today as they did 32 years ago.
Gascoigne was back in England colours at Euro 96, scoring one of the all-time great tournament goals against Scotland and coming desperately close to entering the history books with a chance against Germany in the semi-finals. However, his omission from Glenn Hoddle's squad for the 1998 World Cup was perhaps as devastating to him as any other on-field moment.
Potential squad members were informed of their fate one at a time by Hoddle. Ian Wright was in after Gascoigne, and he recalled entering a smashed up room after his compatriot - who had moved from Rangers to Middlesbrough midway through the season - had learned he would not be part of the set-up in France.
"I was in next," Wright said on the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast in 2020. "I thought Glenn was calling me in to tell me that he's not taking me for some reason but he called me in to tell me that he was and what he wanted me to do.
"I remember when I went in and we were actually talking about me being in the squad while cleaning the room up and fixing the mattress. The gaffer and me were talking about what he needed from me and Michael [Owen] all the time while we're tidying the room up – things had been smashed to bits!
"I was embarrassed because I was thinking about how the gaffer had to deal with Gazza going mad in the room. I just naturally went in and started helping tidy stuff up."
It's hard to look back at Gascoigne's career without identifying the 'what if?' moments. For some, this will refer to his tackle in the 1991 FA Cup final for Spurs, which resulted in him suffering a serious injury, but for others, it will be about something off the pitch.
Manchester United were also interested in a young Gazza, but missed out on the signing. There is always a lingering doubt, though, when it comes to whether things would have been different for him under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Scottish manager recalled United's pursuit of Gascoigne on the UTD podcast when asked for his biggest transfer market regrets. "In reality, you have to say, the only one that always comes to my mind and that's Gascoigne," he said.
"He was absolutely fantastic. I think if we'd have got him, he would have had a great career, I really do. I'm not saying he didn't have a good career but he would have had a better career with us."
As Ferguson noted, Gascoigne achieved plenty in the game, be it for Spurs, Rangers, England or elsewhere. However, with someone so talented, and unable to stay at the top forever, there will always be questions about whether there was ever a chance for things to go differently.
