WHEN Paul Gascoigne was signed by Lazio in the summer of 1992 he instantly became one of the biggest names in football mad Italy.

And, in the wake of Premiership football being hijacked by Sky Television, a new television phenomenon was created - Italian football on Channel Four.

Ten years after he followed Gazza to Italy, reporter James Richardson is still living the "dolce vita" and he is well aware of the debt he owes the former England star.

"It was because of Gazza that the idea to cover Italian football came about," he said from his home in Italy.

"The Premiership had been created and had immediately disappeared from terrestrial television and Gazza's move to Lazio meant there was a surge in interest in Serie A."

And Richardson insists it is hard to over estimate the impact the arrival of the 25-year-old Geordie had on one of the most famous cities in the world.

"The arrival of Paul Gascoigne was a huge signing for Lazio," he recalled. "His fame had been built up since his performances at the 1990 World Cup and the Lazio fans were expecting something colossal from him.

"And despite the injuries that restricted his appearances, they were not disappointed with what they got. In fact in a couple of games he just blew them away.

"The fans were expecting more games like that but injuries stopped him. There were people in the press over here who blamed him for the injury problems but the fans adored him.

"He was such a big figure off the field, he kept them entertained. He brought the club a notoriety it had not had before. He had a huge image and was never seen as just another foreign player.

"He was right up there with the likes of Marco van Basten as the most famous players in Italy and the Lazio fans still talk about him to this day.

"His impact was huge because they had not been used to signing such big names - Lazio was not an AC Milan or a Juventus. Those clubs were used to signing the big names, the world stars like Ruud Gullitt and back as far as John Charles.

"His arrival suddenly stamped Lazio as a big time club, one with money and ambition.

"They did not enjoy great success when he was with them but they went on to win a title and the UEFA Cup as they built on the impetus he provided."

And if there was one game that was to guarantee his status as a Lazio legend, it came in his first season in the biggest game of the season, the derby match with Roma.

"It was not just the fact that he scored the winner with a header," said Richardson. "It was the way he cried afterwards and the fans absolutely loved that.

"What any player does in a derby game has a massive impact on how they are remembered and Gazza could not have done any more. To be honest they deified him and it did not matter that he did not play very many games because of injury."

The curious thing that was observed by Richardson was the way the whole of the Italian capital appeared to take Gazza to their hearts.

"It was not just the Lazio fans who loved him, he would get just as much positive attention from Roma fans," he said.

"The problem he had was going out in the city because he was always being tracked by paparrazzi and one famous incident ended up becoming a court case.

"His life had to be restricted to going to certain bars and certain restaurants and he had to spend a lot of time in his villa with friends who had come over with him from Newcastle."

On a personal level Richardson, who went to Italy as a rookie reporter, admitted: "I really liked Gazza.

"From a professional point of view he could be an absolute nightmare as he would not turn up for interviews on time and he wouldn't answer his phone so he would not be the first choice of someone to work with.

"He would infuriate me because I was often on a very tight schedule and I was new to the job so he panicked me a few times. But then he would turn up and be perfectly relaxed and friendly and his late arrival would be completely innocent so any problem was immediately forgotten.

"Quite simply he would mess you around without meaning to. It was a rally bizarre world for him out here and I think he just decided to concentrate on taking one step at a time.

"He just dealt with whatever was in front of him.

"I have to say he was an absolute natural, a very, very gifted performer. He could have been a success at any number of careers in the entertainment business.

"There was always something very simple, very playful and very loveable about him, you could not help but like him."

Having played 22 times in his first season with Lazio, scoring four goals in the process, it was downhill for the England star and his third and final season saw injury restrict him to just a couple of games.

During his time in Italy, Gascoigne's international career was also restricted as he made just 12 appearances, several as a sub.

His departure seemed inevitable and sure enough in the summer of 1995 his Roman adventure came to an end.

Many other British players have sought to add to their fame and fortune in Italy, invariably with little tangible success.

The bare facts might suggest that was the case for Gazza but, despite his injury problems, he remains revered in Rome.

And let's face it, they have seen some half decent footballers in Italy over the years!