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Wednesday, 24 July, 2002, 01:15 GMT 02:15 UK
Gazza begins US trial
Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne will fly to the US on Wednesday
Paul Gascoigne will relish being an unknown if he decides to sign with American Major League Soccer side DC United, according to the team's coach Ray Hudson.

Former England international Gascoigne will head to Washington on Wednesday to train with the side and look around the local area.


He'll be pretty much totally anonymous in the DC area
Ray Hudson,
DC United coach
And Hudson, a fellow a native of Gascoigne's hometown Newcastle, believes the 35-year-old will benefit from being an unknown in America.

"He sounds very, very enthusiastic about it," Hudson told BBC Radio Five Live.

"He's very eager to get back to enjoying his football and also get away from the tabloid hysteria as best he can.

"The impression I got is he wants to move on with his life in several areas, and he really wants to enjoy the game again.

"He's seen the way we play here in the United States, he was impressed with our World Cup performance, and he's hoping to really be able to enjoy the last few years of his career."

And former Newcastle United player Hudson compared Gascoigne's situation to that of George Best, who headed to America in the 1970s.

"By and large Paul Gascoigne is a completely unknown commodity here," said Hudson.

"I've been trying to explain to people Gazza's notoriety and his fame is probably three or four times as big as somebody like Michael Jordan is over here, and they find that incredible.

"He'll be pretty much totally anonymous in the DC area and he'll be able to blend in as a complete unknown.

"George Best went through the same thing here and enjoyed that privacy and lack of notoriety."

Hudson confirmed that Gascoigne had received other offers from clubs in Europe and stressed that the deal with DC United was far from complete.

"We'll see, I'm really not sure," said Hudson. "That's why Paul's coming. He's going to take a look around the DC area and make his own opinions.

"It may not be for him - that's the whole purpose of this week's get-together."

 WATCH/LISTEN
 ON THIS STORY
DC United boss Ray Hudson
"He wants to enjoy the game again"
Gascoigne's agent Ian Elliot
"He's always wanted to play in America"
Washington Post journalist Steven Goff
"The US public have no idea who he is"
See also:

23 Jul 02 | Football
12 Jul 02 | Football
29 Apr 02 | Burnley
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