The BBC's Paul Newman reports on the end of a dream

Speaking from the team's training camp in La Manga, Spain, Hoddle said that Gascoigne had not reached the standard required for international duty.

This had left him with no choice but to drop the mercurial star, who had "tears in his eyes" when told the news in a brief meeting.

He said: "Paul had... just run out of time in terms of us not being able to get him as we needed for the World Cup.

Gascoigne: Could not sustain effort

"I am as disappointed as anybody about it. It was a tough decision."

Hoddle said that he had spent a few minutes with each player in La Manga, telling them of his decisions.

'Emotionally choked'

"I only had two or three minutes with Paul," he said. "He was distraught, emotionally choked, and he couldn't really take in what I was saying.

"The way he took it meant I couldn't really sit him down and talk it through in the way I'd have liked.

Hoddle: "We've run out of time to get Gazza fit"

"A few of the older lads went to see him, but he wanted to be on his own.

"He was just too upset."

But he added: "The pace of the game (is such) that you have to be an athlete now.

" I have to have players who can play for 90 minutes. Paul did not come into that category."

Hoddle added that later he had seen reports of the (Afghanistan) earthquake which "had put what I did into perspective."

Bubbly character

Mischievous midfielder: Renown for tricks

Hoddle admitted the squad would miss the spirit of Gascoigne and injured striker Ian Wright in the dressing room.

"They are bubbly characters who keep things ticking over," he said. "But I have always said that would not be the reason to keep someone in the 22."

The coach said England always got the best out of Gascoigne when he was fully fit, but France 98 had come too quickly for the midfielder to shake off a string of injury problems.

Hoddle added that Sunday had been a difficult day for all the squad, but they had bounced back with an excellent training session and would come back together next week "fully focused on the job".

Rushed home in private jet

Silent: Star left home without commenting

Earlier, Paul Gascoigne returned to the home of estranged wife Sheryl after being rushed away from the England training camp in a private jet with the other dropped players.

He later left with his wife without commenting to the waiting journalists.

He had reportedly hurled abuse at England manager Glenn Hoddle before storming out of the team camp at La Manga in Spain, leaving his luggage behind.

England's World Cup squad: Seaman, Flowers, Martyn, Campbell, Adams, Keown, R Ferdinand, Southgate, G Neville, Anderton, Beckham, Le Saux, Lee, McManaman, Ince, Batty, Merson, Scholes, L Ferdinand, Shearer, Sheringham, Owen.