The former Tottenham Hotspur striker believes his old teammate was the most vital player in England’s Euro 96 squad because he was a “total genius” who could take on anyone.

He gushed to FourFourTwo magazine as he picked out his best England teammates: “[Paul was] probably the most creative footballer I ever worked with.

“We were very lucky to have him at Euro 96 as he was the icing on the cake of a talented group – a total genius who simply didn’t care who he was facing.

“He’d say to us, ‘Just give me the ball and I’ll take ‘em on’. He had the sort of attitude that Jude Bellingham has now. He was our maverick.”

And Teddy found Paul Ince to be an inspiration for the rest of the squad.

He said: “Paul bossed the midfield. He was so strong, a fierce tackler, a tidy passer and chipped in with a few goals – another leader that you’d want in your squad.

“He was ferocious on the field and inspired the other guys.”

Captain Tony Adams steered the side through the tournament.

Teddy said: “Our leader and captain.

“Tony needed pain-killing injections in his knee throughout Euro 96, but you wouldn’t have known it because he made no fuss.

“That was Tony – as long as the team performed well, he was happy. We looked up to him when times were difficult.”