El Tel was the ultimate man manager – even Gazza toed the line

“Such a sad day, cheers boss, xxxx,” Paul Gascoigne simply wrote, above a timeless photograph of Terry Venables, decked out in his England coaching kit, eyes sparkling and face grinning, as he held up a cup of tea to the clicking cameras.

We will rightly hear plenty in the coming days about Venables, the master coach who has died aged 80, but like all the very best ‘teachers’ (he always preferred that description), the quality that shone brightest was his personality and ability to connect with people.

And the ultimate example was how he handled Gascoigne’s wayward genius, right from when Tottenham hijacked his proposed move to Manchester United back in 1988 to personally reaching out two decades later during the depths of his former player’s battle with alcohol.

“Terry charmed the pants off us,” recalls Paul Stewart, who joined Spurs at the same time as Gascoigne. For all the trophies and medals that would surely have followed with Sir Alex Ferguson’s United, it was a decision that he could never completely regret.

“Terry was the best I worked with – unbelievable – everybody loved him,” said Gascoigne, who did eventually decode the reverse psychology that Venables would implore in the post-match debriefs that took place inside his office.

If Gascoigne had put in one of his virtuoso performances, like in almost single-handedly beating Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final, Venables would invariably look nonplussed, say he’d been “c---” and point out the flaws. Yet had his star player struggled, he would instead say that he was actually brilliant.

It was of course all designed to ensure that Gascoigne’s ever fluctuating moods would remain as consistent as possible.

There was also considerable leeway, underpinned by a very streetwise sense of humour, whenever Gascoigne did push the boundaries.

Opting against disciplinary action even after his midfielder arrived late at Tottenham training one morning with an ostrich (decked out in a Spurs shirt) was one such example.

“I think if you just let someone have their head completely that can go out of control, “ Venables once explained. “But it’s just a matter of being around to join in the laughter or give a, ‘steady here’. Gazza wants to be loved by everyone – he tries to make them laugh – and 99 per cent of the time he does.”

Most famously, Venables chose to publicly back Gascoigne following the dentists’ chair controversy when England’s Euro ’96 preparations became so overshadowed by the antics of a supposed “drunken oaf”.

Venables did make his feelings known in the sanctuary of the team hotel, but took the blame himself in front of the media, stressing that he had personally sanctioned their night out. It would all create a siege mentality among the players. Venables would later also let Gascoigne leave the camp with goalkeeper David Seaman before the quarter-final against Spain to unwind by the side of a fishing lake in Maidenhead.

“Terry was a people person,” says Darren Anderton, emphasising the loyalty he provoked. Jamie Redknapp, another member of the Euro ’96 squad, pinpoints how he made players feel like adults. “You wanted to make sure you paid him back,” he said.

Stuart Pearce says he would treat Gascoigne “like a naughty schoolboy”, sometimes reprimanding him in front of the group, but always in an almost fatherly manner that still left his player feeling protected. The desired outcome for England was Gascoigne producing some of his best ever football at Euro ’96 following what had been a career-threatening knee injury.

Venables was of course also at the peak of his powers and fame during the tournament and, even while England manager, he would publicly hold court with guests over a glass of red wine outside a bustling Belgravia restaurant called Motcombs.

He loved being with people and his six years managing Gascoigne for club and country would prove only to be the start of a relationship that, like former Rangers manager Walter Smith, stretched well beyond simply football.

Venables even wrote a heart-hitting newspaper column in 2008 at a time when Gascoigne’s life was so alarmingly veering out of control. “Paul, if you read this, then take it as a wake-up call,” he said. “You know me well enough to know this is from the heart. I remember a Paul Gascoigne who lit up the country with his football genius and personality. Get treated. And get well, my friend.”

In the biography of the England football team, written by the Telegraph’s former chief sports writer Paul Hayward, Alan Shearer perhaps summed it up best: “It’s one thing having that knowledge, it’s another being brilliant at man management. Terry was great at both. And I believe the man management side was more important.”

Terry Venables changed my life – after all the bores England had, he was truly unique

Terry gave me my England debut and changed my life. Some managers and coaches you just listen to, others teach you and Terry was one of those. Every time you were in his company there was an education, not just on football but about life as well.

The overriding memory is Euro 96. To be together with a group of young footballers and go through that experience was unique. One of my favourite conversations with him was just before the tournament when he said: “You’re the perfect foil for Gazza.”

That for me was like, wow, what a compliment. He made me feel a million dollars and it had an impact on how I played, I tried to get the ball and give it straight to Gazza just to please Terry. That was the sort of thing he would say to you, to sow a seed in your head.

Some managers who maybe haven’t played the game to the same level don’t understand the intricacies. He knew what it was like to be out there and under pressure when things are going wrong. He wanted to make you understand that you would give the ball away and you shouldn’t worry about it, just go and get it again.

He trusted you – he probably trusted us too much at times. Letting Bryan Robson take us out on the night that ended up with the dentist’s chair was probably not one of his greatest ideas. But Terry liked a laugh and he knew how to handle Gazza, who was not an easy character to manage.

After we drew with Switzerland in the opening game of Euro 96 some of us went out for a few drinks on the Saturday night and I ended up going to a club. That got in the paper and the way Terry handled it was to say: “Listen, I don’t care, we’re going to stick together here.” I thought he might have thrown me out of the squad.

He had such a care and appreciation for players in a way you don’t see as much any more. Some of his ideas were ahead of his time, I remember he brought Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand into the England camp at Euro 96 when they were teenagers, so they could see what it was like in training at that elite level. Nobody had thought of doing that before and it was such a great experience.

I think Terry enjoyed the whole experience of being England manager, and wasn’t just thinking about his team, but the generation that followed as well.

‘Euro 96 felt a bit like a stag do’

Then we came together, beat Scotland the following week and that was the moment he felt vindicated. Playing for England at that time, it was like the best weekend of your life. In the nicest way possible it felt a bit like a stag do. Everything was right, on and off the pitch.

As I looked around social media on Sunday, one thing I noticed is in the pictures his players have put up: they’re all individually stood next to Terry. I googled my name and his and there’s a picture of him and me, he’s talking to me about tactics. I looked at Gary Neville’s Instagram and it’s the same thing.

Some managers are OK talking to a group but just don’t feel comfortable talking one to one. Terry was so at ease in his own skin he would tell you what you needed to do and work on, whatever it was to make you better as a person and a player. He would spend extra time with everybody.

I went to his nightclub, Scribes, and Terry would get up and sing. My Way was his favourite, he was a big Sinatra fan. He was multi-talented, a good-looking guy, and had huge charisma.

I just had such an affinity towards him. You think of some of the bores we’ve had as England managers in the past, Terry was truly unique.