Tony cascarino autobiography rangers

Life of Tony Cascarino is a footballer's autobiography like no other: relentlessly honest, astonishingly self-critical and bleakly humorous.
Tony Cascarino's exceptional autobiography tells some harsh truths about himself and about players' lives, says Dave Hill.
Anthony Guy Cascarino arrived at Celtic Park in July 1991 in a blaze of indifference.

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Sunday, 29 October, 2000, 06:25 GMT

Cascarino: I was a fraud

I didn't qualify for Ireland. I was a fraud. A fake Irishman

Tony Cascarino

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Always afraid to miss

Tony Cascarino's exceptional autobiography tells some harsh truths about himself and about players' lives, says Dave Hill

Oh boy. Hark at this: “It has often been said that the joy of scoring goals is greater than sex but personally I’d compare it more with masturbation. I’ve always found sex to be an absolute pleasure, but scoring goals has only ever brought relief.” The search for relief – by foot rather than by hand – and the misery of not finding it, is the key theme and metaphor of this book: a book which, at its best, is almost unbearable.

“Fifty thousand Celtic fans jump to their feet… They see Tony Cascarino slipping his marker and breaking free. They see the winger cross the ball low to the striker’s feet. They see a million pound player in front of an open Rangers goal with a glorious opportunity at his feet…They do not see the fear on my face at that moment. They do not believe their eyes when I swipe frantically and completely miss the target. They do not feel compassion

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Tony Cascarino: I Should Have Played For Scotland, Not Ireland

TONY CASCARINO has revealed he should have played international football for Scotland rather than the Republic of Ireland.

The former Celtic star, who won 88 caps, was born in London and admitted in his autobiography he had no blood ties with Ireland as his mother was adopted.

Hitman Cascarino made the revelation in his autobiography and described himself as 'a fraud'.

Now the 45-year-old has revealed his father was born in Edinburgh and he could have pulled on the dark blue shirt of Scotland.

Cascarino, who featured in Ireland's 1990 and 1994 World Cup campaigns, said: "What's ironic is that I could just as easily have qualified to play for Scotland.

"My grandparents on my father's side are Italian but my dad was actually born in Edinburgh and lived there until he was five.

"I've always tried to keep that quiet because my dad wouldn't really talk about it, so I couldn't be absolutely certain.

"I've now seen his birth certificate and any doubts ar