Old School Stories 12: Paul Gascoigne inspired Spurs to an epic Wembley win versus the club's arch rivals but, at not yet 24, was this his peak?

I loved Paul Gascoigne as a little boy. His dribbling… his power… his passing… his smile. When I look back at think of watching him play, I smile. But the smile is often followed by a slight sinking sense that we missed out. For Gazza left UK shores in the summer of 1991, aged just 24 and with knee ligament damage following a self-inflicted injury in the early stages of the FA Cup Final. 

After his time in Italy, Gazza bedazzled Rangers fans but didn't return to English football until his 30s. He was still class, but the burst of power and pace and effervescence had dimmed. 

And so I wonder if that heady day at Wembley in April 1991 when Spurs, big underdogs, bested their arch rivals Arsenal (best team in England at the time), represented peak Paul Gascoigne?