Paul Gascoigne's exclusion from England's World Cup squad took pundits by surprise.

The Middlesbrough midfielder looked sadly out of touch during England's Casablanca games against Morocco and Belgium.

But fans say he still has the ability to unlock defences with his passing and bursts from midfield.

If nothing else, he seemed to be the obvious man to come off the bench if England needed to conjure up something special.

On the other hand, his absence could leave the way clear for David Beckham to show off his talents on the world's greatest stage.

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He was given enough chances and Hoddle would only have looked foolish if he had kept him on...
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