Radcliffe Borough 1 Man United Reserves 2 by Mike Whalley: PAUL Gascoigne played a full 90 minutes for Radcliffe Borough on Saturday -- and then tipped them for the Unibond Premier Division title.

Gascoigne and former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe both turned out for Borough in front of 1,703 fans, Stainton Park's biggest-ever crowd.

Sharpe dashed over from Bradford at short notice as a late replacement for Bryan Robson when the former England captain -- who had been due to play in the match for Borough -- had to withdraw with food poisoning.

And both Sharpe and Gascoigne were impressed by their Radcliffe team-mates as they lost 2-1 to Manchester United reserves.

Gascoigne -- who confirmed that he is in advanced talks over becoming a player-coach at League Two side Boston United -- said: "I hope Radcliffe can build on this. Having seen them play, I don't see any reason why they can't go on and win the league.

"They play some good stuff, and could have had five or six goals against a good team.

"What impressed me about the Radcliffe lads was the fact that they didn't look at me as Paul Gascoigne, the superstar. They just looked at me as one of the players in their team.

"They worked their socks off in the second half, and that was brilliant to see.

"I've really enjoyed my time here. In fact, I probably got more pleasure out of that match than anybody else on the pitch."

Gascoigne flew in from Germany -- where he had played in a charity game organised by Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher -- to turn out for Radcliffe.

He agreed to play in the game after Borough chairman Bernard Manning junior had put a request in to Gascoigne's friend Jimmy "Five Bellies" Gardner.

The 37-year-old former Newcastle, Tottenham and Lazio midfielder signed copies of his recently-released autobiography -- which details his battles with drink and drugs, along with his stormy relationship with his ex-wife Sheryl -- for supporters before the kick off. Manning junior said: "Gazza was absolutely awesome. He was a true professional, and had time for everyone.

"We couldn't believe it when he said he'd play for us. And even though their was a lot of scepticism from some people, he was true to his word."

And Gascoigne was thrilled with the reception he got from the Stainton Park crowd. But then after his self-inflicted troubles of the past two years, he seemed thrilled just to be playing at all.

He said: "The reception I got here from the Radcliffe and the Manchester United fans was outstanding. To me that was a real buzz, because I wasn't enjoying life two or three years ago, which was no fault of anybody else's, it was my own.

"I went to any lengths to get drunk, and now I'll go to any lengths to stay sober. If that means going to church, it that means coming to Radcliffe, if that means talking to a stranger -- just so I stay sober -- then I'll do it.

"I've been sober for 14 months now, and I would say I'm learning to live again.

"If I want to be a player-coach, I'm going to get stick along the way. I'll accept that, because it cannot be any worse than the stick I've given myself in that book.

"I was a wife-beater, I took cocaine and I took morphine. I've done all that and I regret it. Now I'm looking to move on."

Gascoigne rarely strayed from the centre circle during the match, but managed to spray plenty of quality passes around the field.

He and Sharpe both played a role in Radcliffe's goal as they fought back well after going 2-0 down inside half an hour.

The signs had looked worrying for Borough as Ritchie Jones hammered Brian McClair's reserve side into a 22nd-minute lead, before Colin Heath touched in Kenny Cooper's low left-wing cross shortly afterwards.

But then Sharpe, on as a half-time substitute, nodded down Gascoigne's cross for Steve Foster to fire past keeper Tommy Heaton midway through the second half -- and Borough could have come away with a draw.

Sharpe said: "Radcliffe are a good side. I'm probably being a bit cheeky, but we were probably the better team in the second half!"

But the 33-year-old former United star, who has now retired from playing to help run a pub near his West Yorkshire home and deal in property, said that there was no chance of him signing for Borough full-time.

"It's too far for me to travel," he laughed.