Paul Gascoigne may finish his football career in the United States after the 1998 World Cup. Gascoigne's contract with Rangers has three years to run but he hinted yesterday that once next summer's tournament in France is over he might leave Ibrox to play abroad one more time.

"We'll see what happens after the World Cup, and it will probably be my last," said Gascoigne after England had continued their preparations for tomorrow's match against Cameroon. "If I do leave Rangers it won't be for another club in Britain and certainly not one in the Premiership. If I leave it will be to go abroad and not for one last challenge, more for a break. I haven't got any worries about playing anywhere in the world. I might stay at Rangers. But I might go to America or Japan, and I don't think the chairman (David Murray) would step in my way.

"I would lose a lot of money but if I feel fed up and just want to go and play the last couple of years of my career abroad then I will do it. It could be America, I don't know. I'll see what the situation is. In America, once you're famous, you're famous for the rest of your life. And they make great pina coladas!'

At the moment the 30-year-old Gascoigne is enjoying his most settled spell in the game since he left Tottenham five years ago to join Lazio in Italy. He has played impressively for England in the closing World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Italy and, after being dropped briefly by Rangers at the start of the season, is showing equally good form in Scotland.

A year ago, following newspaper allegations of wife-beating, Glenn Hoddle was under pressure to drop him for the World Cup game in Georgia. When the England coach included Gascoigne in the squad there was a national outcry, especially from women's organisations. Now he is virtually an automatic choice for France next summer.

Yesterday Hoddle felt his decision had been vindicated. "I'm very pleased Paul's responded on and off the pitch over a period of time," he said. "It was very difficult for me a year ago because I knew I was on a hiding to nothing. I was concerned about 12 months down the line, a lot of people were only concerned with the next day."

Hoddle has already earmarked Gascoigne as one of his certainties for the World Cup. "If he stays in this mode and in this form there's no better midfielder of his type around in Britain," the England coach insisted. "You can't draw a line between the football side and the personal life he was going through, but I'm just pleased for Paul and for England that he's getting back to his best."

In the past mixing the wrong things has at times let Gascoigne down but he appears to have a clear enough vision of what the next eight months will hold.

Guardian Service