Child tripped up by Paul Gascoigne at Ibrox was his agent's son

Gascoigne came under criticism after footage showed him tripping up a child after beckoning him on to the pitch as he warmed up for a charity match.

The child stayed down on the turf before being helped up by Gascoigne and one of his team-mates in the side made up of former Rangers players.

A statement from M&N Management read: "The 'young fan' who was tripped up by Gazza at the weekend during the Rangers v World XI game was in fact his agent's son.

"The two are constantly playing practical jokes on one another and play fighting. We confirm that no harm was caused."

Gascoigne later made a brief appearance in the match against a team put together by Luis Figo and was allowed time and space to net a goal in a 3-2 defeat for his Rangers side.

The 54-year-old won two Scottish titles with Rangers in 1996 and 1997.

His actions drew criticism on social media, with Scottish actor Gianni Capaldi denouncing the former Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Everton and Middlesbrough midfielder as a “self entitled horrible person.”

Gascoigne, who was seen later scoring in the match and receiving the adulation of the Rangers crowd, has courted plenty of controversy in the past both as a player and after his retirement from the game.

One of his most controversial moments as a player was also at Rangers when, during a game against Celtic, the England star played an imaginary flute to goad Celtic fans - a reference to the protestant Orange marches that take place in Northern Ireland and Scotland in July.

Gascoigne re-enacted the controversial moment again on Sunday as he was pictured playing the flute on the Ibrox pitch.