Paul Gascoigne once said that one of his former Newcastle teammates was "the most unselfish player" he ever saw. The former England international believed that his fellow pro helped others to shine instead of taking the limelight for himself.
Gascoigne himself often found himself at the centre of attention during his playing career, both for his on-field and off-field antics. There's no denying that the midfielder was a fantastic player though, showcasing technical brilliance for the Three Lions, Newcastle, Tottenham and multiple other clubs.
It was qualities like that which saw past and present England stars like Steven Gerrard rave about him. But 'Gazza' himself played with some fantastic individuals, and reserved special praise for former teammate, Peter Beardsley.
Gascoigne's High Praise for Beardsley
Pair were teammates at Newcastle and England
Speaking while on Sky Sports' 'The Fantasy Football Club,' Gascoigne was asked to name the best XI of past teammates from his career. The team was stacked with talent, including John Barnes, Gary Lineker, and Bryan Robson.
Beardsley also made the cut, having played with Gascoigne while at Newcastle and also for England. And the attacking-midfield maestro believed that Beardsley's ability to provide for his teammates was unlike anyone else he met during his career, and something which made him a unique player.
"Probably the most unselfish player I have ever met in my life. He would rather set someone up for them to take the headlines, than himself. People didn't realise how much work the guy put in.
"One hell of a player. In today's game, he could have named his own price."
Although Beardsley and Gascoigne would only combine for one goal during their 67 matches together, the former's time at Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton saw him rack up goal contributions at an impressive rate. His most productive spell came in the north east, where, over 326 games, he scored 121 times and assisted teammates on 43 occasions. Fellow Geordie and the Premier League's all-time top scorer, Alan Shearer, even hailed him as the greatest player in the club's history.
The midfielder was equally effective at international level, winning 59 caps for the Three Lions. He went on to play at both the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, as well as Euro 1988, where England suffered a group stage exit.
Peter Beardsley's Career Record
Club/Nation
Newcastle
Liverpool
Everton
Bolton
Manchester City
Fulham
England
Beardsley Equally Impressed With Gascoigne
Saw England international develop for club and country
Paul Gascoigne & Peter Beardsley - England
The respect between 'Gazza' and Beardsley goes both ways. Having seen the youngster come through the ranks at St James' Park, the duo went on to share the pitch at Italia '90 in four of the tournament's matches.
Gascoigne played a starring role for England at the tournament, playing every minute apart from the third-place playoff after an infamous yellow card in the semi-finals against Germany. Scoring two important winners against Egypt and Belgium during the tournament, Beardsley spoke with great admiration about how the youngster carried the squad through the tournament with him.
"I witnessed Gazza from a young age and what an incredible player. His enthusiasm was so infectious and the whole squad took so much from him during Italia 90."