By Harry Pratt

GLENN HODDLE yesterday warned Paul Gascoigne that the only bar he should worry about is the one the England midfielder is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon.

Worryingly for all supporters aware that a Gazza-less England would be a hopeless lost cause in France, this was not some idle threat from Hoddle delivered to appease the media hysteria surrounding the Middlesbrough man's night on the town with Rod Stewart at the weekend. After Hoddle had publicly urged Gascoigne to put his house in order, to see him hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons has clearly driven the coach to the very brink of the unthinkable - leaving the country's greatest talent behind..

That was spelt out in Monday night's showdown between the pair that took place on Monday evening immediately after England squad gathered to prepare for the Wembley clash with Saudi Arabia on Saturday and the two away games with Morocco and Belgium to come next week. We had a good long chat,'' said Hoddle. ''Paul knows the situation and what's being asked of him, he knows exactly. The things he's done this week weren't done under my wing. When I'm not there I can't control him, just like the other England managers couldn't.

''We can't be on his shoulder all the time. You can ask him and try to get him to see the situation. Paul definitely understands where I'm coming from. He knows I'm disappointed by what I've seen and that I'm disappointed I had to have a word with him.