Chris Flanagan

Chris Flanagan

Senior Staff Writer

Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.

Latest articles by Chris Flanagan

Ivan Toney
‘If Ivan Toney was available in January, it’s something Spurs would have to consider – Thomas Frank knows him, it’s worth a conversation’ Former Tottenham Hotspur striker explains why his old club should think about Saudi Pro League forward

By Chris Flanagan Published

Former strike ace thinks the England international could provide additional firepower in North London, under his old Brentford boss

Person
‘Maybe I’ll do a World Cup song for Scotland – you don’t want it to be too twee, but you want it to be catchy enough’ Amy Macdonald on her dream assignment

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Scots have had some memorable World Cup songs throughout the years

EXCLUSIVE
‘Jack Grealish reminds me of myself - it doesn’t matter if he loses the ball, he always wants it again… He’s handsome as well!’ Paul Gascoigne on why he can’t imagine Grealish missing the World Cup

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Gazza is a big fan of Everton loan star Grealish

EXCLUSIVE
‘He only said what everyone was thinking. They’d sold the superstars and we were little spotty-faced kids coming into the team’ Nicky Butt on Alan Hansen’s ‘you can’t win anything with kids’

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Match of the Day pundit’s one-liner would go down in history

EXCLUSIVE
‘I told a teacher I was going to make it as a footballer and got kicked out of class. After the 1990 World Cup, I went back to the school and said, "Do you remember me, you f**king bastard!"’ Paul Gascoigne on practising his autograph at school

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Gazza knew he would make it from a young age - and now tells us that he rubbed it in a teacher's face

EXCLUSIVE
'Mourinho told me "Don’t train, you’ll be playing but I’m going to name a different team"... he had me believing that I wasn’t playing until he named the team so he did me a kipper as well!' Damien Duff on Jose Mourinho's Chelsea vs Barcelona double bluff

By James Roberts Published

As the old rivals prepare to do battle again tonight, FourFourTwo looks back on an iconic tie between Chelsea and Barcelona 20 years ago

Competition
‘At Italia 90, the best bit about the entire tournament was that I knew I was the best player in the world’ Paul Gascoigne on being the best on Earth in 1990

By Chris Flanagan Published

EXCLUSIVE England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals made Paul Gascoigne a household name in 1990

EXCLUSIVE
‘It’s still my favourite. I was playing for my country against my own players from Rangers, they’d been giving me grief and I said, ‘Just wait until we get to Wembley…’ Paul Gascoigne on his Euro 96 goal against Scotland

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Gazza’s goal against the Auld Enemy proved to be the turning point in England’s Euro 96 campaign

EXCLUSIVE
'Fergie told me to do what I want, so I asked "Why am I not f**king playing?" That was when it went off…’ Nicky Butt on his EXPLOSIVE row with Sir Alex Ferguson

By Chris Flanagan Published

EXCLUSIVE When players clashed with the Manchester United boss, there was usually only one winner…

EXCLUSIVE
‘Fergie called me into his office three years ago to give me a bollocking - even now, he’s the only manager that I s**t myself when I see him’ Paul Gascoigne on turning down Sir Alex Ferguson

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Gazza came close to joining Manchester United from Newcastle in 1988

EXCLUSIVE
David Beckham
‘After we won the Premier League at Leicester, we took the trophy everywhere and I’d say to security ‘Can we get it out?’ David Beckham was on a plane with us, so we got it out and had pictures with him!’ Foxes title-winner reveals meeting with a legend

By Chris Flanagan Published

Leicester City hero tells FourFourTwo how it felt to become a champion, in the 10th anniversary season of the club's famous triumph

Player
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the FIFA World Cup trophy during celebrations after an international friendly match between Argentina and Panama at Estadio Más Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti on March 23, 2023 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Could Lionel Messi have done it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke? Legendary Potters boss Tony Pulis gives his verdict

By Chris Flanagan Published

The former Stoke City gaffer assesses one of the great unanswered questions in football history

Coaches & Managers
‘I ate Liam Gallagher’s steak. He came back with a fire extinguisher, set it off and absolutely slaughtered us with it!’ Paul Gascoigne on his meeting with the Oasis frontman

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Paul Gascoigne and Liam Gallagher’s meeting was as combustible as you’d expect

EXCLUSIVE
An Ireland apart: How Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy's Saipan fallout went box office

By Chris Flanagan Published

Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy produced one of football’s most dramatic stories when they ripped into each other in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in 2002 – now the saga is being retold in a new movie that hits the cinemas in January

Coaches & Managers
‘My rant was immaturity. Some of those people don’t have jobs now, so ultimately I was right - but how I said it was wrong’ Troy Deeney reflects on his Forest Green stint

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Watford forward’s first job in management was a short, sharp stint at Forest Green Rovers

EXCLUSIVE
'The Boy's A Bit Special' Why the Bukayo Saka regen that Arsenal fumbled is destined for BIG things

By Chris Flanagan Published

Arsenal let go of Amario Cozier-Duberry for free - and now the on-loan Bolton winger is showing why that was such a mistake

Player
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‘If we could have played Arsenal every week at Stoke, we would have done – we had it over them, Arsene Wenger even tried to ban throw-ins! It’s nice that people now say Mikel Arteta has copied me’ Tony Pulis gives his verdict on the Gunners’ title charge

By Chris Flanagan Published

In an exclusive interview, the former Stoke boss explains how he feels about proving an unlikely inspiration for Arsenal’s fine form

Coaches & Managers
BMO Field, Toronto, ON, Canada - one of the host stadiums of the 2026 World Cup
FourFourTwo’s guide to Toronto: everything you need to know about the World Cup 2026 host city

By Chris Flanagan Published

Canada will co-host the tournament for the first time next summer – we assess what you can expect from its biggest city

Competition
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Newcastle United player Paul Gascoigne pictured at the pre season photo call ahead of the 1987/88 season at Benwell in July, 1987 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Danny Brannigan/Hulton Archive)
'I’m always going to be an alcoholic. It used to be weeks of benders, but it’s only about two days now and I’ll stop – I’ll think "Waste of f**king time"' Paul Gascoigne speaks exclusively to FourFourTwo

By Chris Flanagan Published

Paul Gascoigne has opened up about his struggles with addiction and mental health in a exclusive interview with FourFourTwo

Person
England
'A copper stopped me approaching Raoul Moat. The next morning, I had 300 missed calls and thought, ‘What the f**k have I done?’ My dad sectioned me after that' Paul Gascoigne speaks exclusively to FourFourTwo

By Chris Flanagan Published

Paul Gascoigne has opened up on the bizarre events that led to him being involved in a police stand-off with convict Raoul Moat

Person
Paul Gascoigne in action for Lazio against Parma, October 1992
‘I kicked Alessandro Nesta by the back of the calf in training and did my fibula and tibia… I missed maybe four years of international football, but I still managed to get fit again and back to my best’ Paul Gascoigne on his injury hell

By Chris Flanagan Published

EXCLUSIVE Paul Gascoigne relays his troubles in signing for Lazio to FourFourTwo

EXCLUSIVE
[left] Former Tottenham Hotspur and England footballer Paul Gascoigne poses upon arrival to attend the World Premiere of ROBBO: The Bryan Robson Story, in Manchester, northern England on November 25, 2021. [right] Ex-boxer Ricky Hatton and Ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne pictured during a Boxing Media Work Out at Kings Gym in Leicester on March 20, 2019 in Leicester, England
‘Ricky Hatton was funny as f**k. He was like myself, he gave his time up for anybody and he’d give his last penny away. It was heartbreaking’ Paul Gascoigne speaks exclusively to FourFourTwo about his friendship with the boxing world champion

By Chris Flanagan Published

EXCLUSIVE The former England midfielder recalls time spent with the late boxer Ricky Hatton

EXCLUSIVE
‘The first three months were hard, I wasn’t getting on the pitch, but I felt ready to help the team. Then I made a few appearances and started scoring some goals’ James McAtee on the challenge of breaking into the Man City first-team

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE After two loan spells at Sheffield United, the midfielder set about breaking into the City first-team

EXCLUSIVE
Paul Gascoigne of England at Euro 96
‘Glenn Hoddle is a prick. Terry Venables warned me "Hoddle will try to make a name for himself" – he said it was because of my drinking, but six other players were out until 6am’ Paul Gascoigne speaks exclusively to FourFourTwo on his 1998 World Cup snub

By Chris Flanagan Published

EXCLUSIVE Paul Gascoigne recalls to FourFourTwo how he reacted after being snubbed for the 1998 World Cup

EXCLUSIVE
‘When the alarms go off, you go into the safe room for around five or 10 minutes, then come back out and carry on with your day. It was a strange experience’ Rory Delap on coaching in Israel

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Stoke midfielder was Robbie Keane’s assistant at Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023

EXCLUSIVE
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