DINO Zoff is one of the greatest names in world football.

The Italian goalkeeper, who lifted the World Cup as a 40-year-old in Spain in 1982, served his country with great distinction both on the pitch and, just a couple of seasons ago, as the manager.

In Euro 2000 he was seconds away from leading the Azzurri to the title, only deprived by a last gasp goal for World champions France.

Ten years ago he was the man who decided to pay Spurs £5.5million for Paul Gascoigne, despite the fact he had not kicked a ball in anger for a whole season.

This week he spoke about the Clarets' latest signing and admitted: "I loved that boy."

It was in his first spell as manager of Rome giants Lazio that Zoff decided to bring Gascoigne to Italy, the country where he had made his name during the World Cup of 1990.

The plan had been to take him from Spurs the season after he had set the World Cup alight but his FA Cup final injury meant that he was sidelined for the whole of the 1991-92 campaign and forced to put his Italian job on hold.

But Zoff was still determined to sign him and he immediately got to know the very best and worst of the maverick midfielder.

"He was a genius, an artist," he enthused. "But he made me tear my hair out. The pity was we saw the beauty he was capable of only so rarely.

"He destroyed that with his drinking and eating. He ate ice cream as an hors d'oeuvre!"

Zoff not only had to cope with his prize asset's dietary eccentricities, he had to cope with a string of injuries and he recalled: "Once he was injured and I told him to go on holiday, we will pay for everything.

"He said to me: 'No Signor Zoff I want to stay here with you.' His Italian wasn't perfect, but he made himself understood.

"I told him to go away, rest and get over the injury and he said: 'But you don't understand what will happen to me.'

"I still told him to go so he went on his holiday and I was at the training ground the day he was due back.

"And instead of a footballer I see in the distance this whale wobbling down the road. I said to him: 'Gazza what have you done?' He said: 'I told you not to send me on holiday, Signor Zoff.'"