Paul Gascoigne signs for Bournemouth Sunday league side

FORMER Rangers star Paul Gascoigne has signed for a Sunday league side.

Paul Gascoigne. Picture: Getty

The 47 year-old, who has had a well-publicised battle with alcohol, signed for Bournemouth Sunday League Division Four outfit Abbey.

The club’s manager, and full-time taxi driver, convinced Gazza to sign up after dropping cigarettes off at his flat.

The FA have confirmed that the ex-England international has had his registration verified by the league.

Paul Gascoigne last game in 1997 for Rangers v St Johnstone at Ibrox.

Abbey boss Foster, a taxi driver for Poole Radio Cabs, told the Bournemouth Daily Echo: “I have picked him up a few times and spoken to him about signing for us. Although he laughed it off, he didn’t say no.“I dropped him off at his flat a couple of weeks ago and he asked me to go to the shop to get him some cigarettes. When I got back, I was invited in and we had a good chat about various things.“I gave him the cigarettes and pulled out the signing-on form at the same time. He signed it there and then. I was chuffed to bits and ran to the car as fast as I could. I was skipping like a 14-year-old!“I texted some of the other lads and told them I had a real scoop of a signing. They thought it was either Taffy Richardson or Tommy Killick.”The Abbey manager said he did not know how often his new signing would play adding that he would he would even allow Gazza to pick his own position. He said: “If he feels he is fit enough to play, he can play wherever he likes – at that includes in goal!“I have said I will put a fixture sheet through his door and have offered to pick him up whenever he is willing to come. I don’t know what his availability will be.“My ambition is to get him there for every game. He might play every game or he might play one. It would be an honour to have him involved.”Gascoigne is expected to make his debut against Rentech Repairs or ARC Cleaning when the season starts next month.