Paul Gascoigne admits he regrets choosing Tottenham over Manchester United when he decided to leave Newcastle United.

Gascoigne, 41, says it was one of his greatest regrets that he did not sign for Sir Alex Ferguson, who admitted this week that "not getting Gazza" was his biggest disappointment as a manager.

"He was a fabulous footballer and he would have done brilliantly here," said the United boss in the New Statesman.

The young Gazza, then on the verge of joining United from Newcastle, was shown around the training ground but chose to join Tottenham instead - and when he contacted Ferguson years later, he says the Scot did not seem interested.

"Maybe if I had stayed at Man U, I might have been still there," the former England midfielder tells Sky News tonight.

"Look at young Rooney, the Neville brothers and Becks, the way he (Ferguson) just brought them on. I got invited to the academy and it is a magnificent place and you can see the way he treats his players, he treats them with respect but he also makes men out of boys.

"It took me six years to get back talking to Sir Alex. I called him from Lazio and asked him would he sign us.

"He was with Eric Cantona and he said he would see what Eric Cantona was going to do, but I think everyone knows if you do something to Sir Alex Ferguson the way I did, you don't get a second chance."