"What a sad day, cheers boss, xxxx," Paul Gascoigne wrote simply, above a timeless photo of Terry Venables, decked out in his England coaching kit, eyes twinkling and a grinning face, as he held up a cup of tea to the tapping sounds . cameras.
We will rightly hear a lot in the coming days about Venables, the master coach who has died aged 80, but like the very best 'teachers' (he always preferred that description), the quality that shone brightest was his personality and its ability to connect. with people.
And the ultimate example was how he dealt with the idiosyncratic genius of Gascoigne, from the moment Tottenham hijacked his proposed move to Manchester United in 1988, until he personally reached out twenty years later during the depths of his former player's battle with alcohol .
"Terry charmed us," recalls Paul Stewart, who joined Spurs at the same time as Gascoigne. Despite all the trophies and medals that would surely have followed at Sir Alex Ferguson's United, it was a decision he could never fully regret.
"Terry was the best I've worked with - unbelievable - everyone loved him," said Gascoigne, who eventually deciphered the reverse psychology that Venables was begging for in the post-match debriefings that took place in his office.
When Gascoigne had put in one of his virtuoso performances, such as when he almost single-handedly defeated Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final, Venables would invariably look bewildered, say he had been "c-" and tell him point out the shortcomings. . But if his star player was struggling, he would instead say that he was actually brilliant.
It was all, of course, to ensure that Gascoigne's ever-changing moods would remain as consistent as possible.
There was also plenty of scope, backed by a very streetwise sense of humour, whenever Gascoigne pushed the boundaries.
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Choosing disciplinary action even after his midfielder arrived late to Tottenham training one morning with an ostrich (wearing a Spurs shirt) was an example of this.
"I think if you let someone completely control their head, it can get out of hand," Venables once explained. "But it's just a matter of being around to laugh or give a 'steady here'. Gazza wants to be loved by everyone - he tries to make them laugh - and he does that 99 percent of the time."
Most famously, Venables chose to publicly support Gascoigne after the dentist's chair controversy when preparations for the '96 European Championship in England were so overshadowed by the antics of a so-called 'drunk fool'.
Venables did make his feelings known in the sanctuary of the team hotel, but took the blame himself to the media, insisting he had personally approved of their night out. It would all create a siege mentality among the players. Venables would also later allow Gascoigne to leave camp with goalkeeper David Seaman before the quarter-final against Spain to relax on the shore of a fishing lake in Maidenhead.
"Terry was a people person," says Darren Anderton, emphasizing the loyalty he inspired. Jamie Redknapp, another member of the Euro '96 squad, explains 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 scolding him in front of the group, but always in an almost fatherly way that still left his player feeling protected. The desired outcome for England was Gascoigne producing some of his best ever football at Euro '96 after a career-threatening knee injury.
Venables was of course also at the height of his power and fame during the tournament and even as England manager he publicly held court with guests over a glass of red wine outside a bustling Belgravia restaurant called Motcombs.
He loved being around people and his six years managing Gascoigne for club and country would prove to be just the start of a relationship that, like former Rangers manager Walter Smith, extended far beyond football.
Venables even wrote a heartbreaking newspaper column in 2008 at a time when Gascoigne's life was spiraling so alarmingly out of control. "Paul, if you read this, consider it a wake-up call," he said. "You know me well enough to know that this comes from your heart. I remember a Paul Gascoigne who lit up the country with his football genius and personality. Get treated. And get well soon, 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 to have that knowledge, it's quite another to be brilliant at man management. Terry was great at both. And I believe the male management side was more important.
Terry Venables changed my life - after all the boredom 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 you learn and Terry was one of them. Every time you were in his company you were educated, not just about football, but about life.
The overriding memory is Euro 96. It was unique to be with a group of young footballers and have that experience. One of my favorite conversations with him was just before the tournament, when he said: "You are the perfect addition to Gazza."
To me that was like: wow, what a compliment. He made me feel like I was worth a million dollars and it had an impact on how I played. I tried to grab the ball and give it straight to Gazza, just to please Terry. That was the kind of thing he said to you, to sow a seed in your mind.
Some managers who may not have played the game at the same level do not understand its intricacies. He knew what it was like to be out there and under pressure when something goes wrong. He wanted to make it clear to you that you were going to give the ball away and that you didn't have to worry about it, just go get it again.
He trusted you - he probably trusted us too much sometimes. Having Bryan Robson take us on the night he ended up at the dentist probably wasn't one of his best ideas. But Terry loved to laugh and he knew how to handle Gazza, who was not an easy character to get along with.
After drawing against Switzerland in the opening match of Euro 96, some of us went out for a drink on Saturday evening and I ended up going to a club. That got in the paper and the way Terry dealt with it was to say, "Listen, I don't care, we're going to stick together here." I thought maybe he had thrown me off the team.
He had so much care and appreciation for players in a way that you don't see that often anymore. Some of his ideas were ahead of their time. I remember him bringing Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand as teenagers to the England camp at Euro 96 so they could see what it was like to train at that elite level. No one had thought of that before and it was such an amazing experience.
I think Terry enjoyed the whole experience as England manager, thinking not only of his team but of the generation that followed.
'Euro 96 felt a bit like a stag feast'
Then we came together, beat Scotland the following week and that was the moment he felt vindicated. If you played for England back then it was the best weekend of your life. In the nicest way possible, it felt a bit like a deer. Everything was right, both on and off the field.
Looking around social media on Sunday, one thing I noticed was the photos his players posted: They were all standing individually next to Terry. I googled my name and his and there's a picture of him and me, him talking to me about tactics. I looked at Gary Neville's Instagram and it's the same.
Some managers are okay with talking to a group, but don't feel comfortable talking one-on-one. Terry was so comfortable in his own skin that he would tell you what to do and what to work on, whatever it was to make you better as a person and as a player. He would spend extra time with everyone.
I went to his nightclub, Scribes, and Terry got up and sang. My Way was his favorite, he was a big Sinatra fan. He was multi-talented, a handsome man and had enormous charisma.
I just had such an affinity with him. Think of the boredom we've had as English managers in the past: Terry was truly unique.
