Jason Wilcox escaped infamous England Euro 96 'dentist chair' night out alongside Neville brothers

Phil Neville recalls how David Platt warned younger players including Wilcox away from the infamous Hong Kong night out that sparked the Euro 96 'dentist chair' scandal.

Jason Wilcox narrowly avoided the infamous 'dentist chair' incident during England's Euro 96 preparation tour in Hong Kong. The Blackburn Rovers winger was among younger squad members advised by senior player David Platt not to attend a night out planned by more experienced teammates at the China Jump Bar, where players including Paul Gascoigne, Teddy Sheringham and Steve Howey were photographed being tied to chairs and fed alcohol by bar staff.

Phil Neville, who also heeded Platt's warning alongside his brother Gary, Nick Barmby and Wilcox, recalled the moment in an interview with The Times. "Platty could smell that something was up," Neville said. Instead of joining the night out, the younger players went for pizza with Peter Beardsley and later went shopping to spend their England bonuses on watches for their families.

The incident became a major scandal ahead of the tournament, with images of soaked and dishevelled players causing widespread condemnation. Gascoigne later famously recreated the 'dentist chair' celebration after scoring against Scotland in the group stage, with teammates squirting water into his mouth.