DARREN Anderton set up one of the most famous goals in English football, yet found himself having to remind people of his involvement.

Paul Gascoigne’s iconic strike for England against Scotland at Wembley during Euro 96, which happened 25 years ago this week, has stood the test of time.

Gascoigne flicked the ball over the sprawling Colin Hendry and fired home a volley into the bottom corner to give the Three Lions a 2-0 lead in the crucial game against the Auld Enemy, who visit Wembley tomorrow in this summer’s edition of the tournament.

It put them on their way to qualification to the knockout stages and gave everyone belief that football was coming home.

While Gascoigne’s finish was the result of a sublime piece of skill, it was created by the vision of Anderton, whose first-time pass sent his team-mate clear into the box.

Not that many people remember, as Anderton has found out in the past.

Asked how it felt to be involved in such a memorable moment, the former Cherries midfielder told the PA news agency: “Of course it made me feel great and it does make me laugh because I have had conversations with people.

“I remember someone once said to me, ‘I was at the England v Scotland game, you should have been there, it was unbelievable’. And I just went, ‘Yeah, yeah, I know, I passed him the ball’.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way and people just laughed, the poor guy was mortified.

“My career was more of being a player that set up goals rather than score goals so any goal you are involved in gives you great pleasure and especially in such a huge game and an iconic goal.”

Anderton’s creative moment came in a mad two minutes which started with David Seaman saving Gary McAllister’s penalty. From a dead-ball after the resulting corner, the Arsenal goalkeeper kicked it long, Teddy Sheringham laid it off to Anderton and the rest is history.

It was a quick turnaround in emotions for the Three Lions, who had a sense of deja vu having squandered a one-goal lead in their opening match against Switzerland.

“First I thought, ‘Oh s**t, what have we done’. We played great, got a really good goal from Alan Shearer and once the penalty is given your thoughts are just deja vu,” Anderton said.

“It was exactly the same as against the Swiss and it was like, ‘Oh my Lord, we are going to get battered’.

“Then Dave makes a great save and from the goal-kick the ball went to Teddy, I saw Gazza making his run and I knew Teddy would play it off nice and simple.

“I played Gazza in and once that ball went into his path it was a bit like slow motion, I thought like everyone else, ‘hit it, hit it’, but he flicked it up in the air and then it was just magical.

“As it came down in the air you just knew that this was the goal, it was the goal he was dreaming about all summer, for him to score against Andy Goram, one of his best mates, meant a lot to him I am sure.

“It was just magical and he answered the criticism with his celebration. That is what Gazza is all about, he is a genius. It was unreal.

“That was the start of the tournament for us, it was a really special time and a relief for sure.

“The relief of winning the game was immense, not just for the players, for the fans for everyone, it changed everything that happened that summer. You can’t underplay it.

“The (Three Lions) song came on after the game, no one would leave and we just enjoyed it.”

He added: "People come up to me and talk to me still about it being amazing, saying they loved that team and what a great summer.

“What would it have been like if we won that tournament? We really would have been proper legends. Twenty five years on you talk about Euro 96 with a smile on your face, always, but there is always that tinge of sadness and regret that we didn’t win the tournament we were probably the best team in.”

Anderton played 78 games for Cherries between 2006 and 2008, scoring 13 goals. That included the late winner against Chester City in Anderton's final game in professional football.