In an open letter to Glenn Hoddle's 22 players heading for France Gascoigne urged them to go on and win the World Cup without him.

'What difference can one kebab make?'

He wrote in The Sun: "I'm trying to get over the disappointment of not making it to the 22 and of course coming to terms with it and I will miss youse.

"I feel I've let youse down because of two nights out with pals.

"But I don't see how one kebab can be the difference between beating one or three men or running from box to box or scoring a goal."

A 'broken-hearted' dad

The 31-year-old also told the newspaper of the anguish he is suffering at being left at home this summer.

He spoke of his disappointment that his son would not see him represent England in France.

"I wanted Regan to see me play for England in the World Cup - now I don't know if he'll ever see me in an England shirt again. That breaks my heart," he said.

Farewell to the joker

Gascoigne added: "I'm so fed up. I'm trying hard to smile but you won't see the laughing and joking Gazza for a long while.

"The worst thing is the embarrassment. I can see pity in everybody's eyes in the street."

But he refused to blame his celebrity friends Chris Evans and Danny Baker for his international demise.

He and also told how he shared his disappointment with Phil Neville and Ian Walker, also dropped from Hoddle's plans.