Quotes

I dream a lot about football and a lot of them have come true for me.

The England team should be managed by an English manager.

Whenever Man Utd lose people always say there's a crisis.

As a footballer you always want to test yourself against the best.

If someone had said in 1998 after my sending off in the World Cup that I would be leading my country out within three years I would have laughed in their face.

In Spain people have lunch and dinner a lot later - when I return to England I'll have to eat alone at midnight.

Pelé was a complete player. I didn't see him live obviously, because I wasn't born.

[when asked if he thought that he was a volatile player] Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side.

I like Victoria for herself, not for nothing else. I'd like her if she worked in Tesco.

[describing his strength] Shopping!

At home things are hard. For instance, my curtains are never open, I get no privacy at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw daylight in my house.

I think the most important goal I scored in Spain was the first one because people were wary about me coming over to Spain as a player - they thought I was just there to sell shirts.

[on Real Madrid] To experience playing and being in the same team as these players is something that might not ever happen again - to have so many players in one team. I just wanted to be one of these stars and play in this team.

Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at this level. Well, he's the only manager I've actually had at this level. But he's the best manager I've ever had.

I definitely want (my son) Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet.

[denying any affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos] During the past few months, I have become accustomed to reading more and more ludicrous stories about my private life. The simple truth is that I am very happily married, have a wonderful wife and two very special kids. There is nothing that any third party can do to change these facts.

The way I and my family have been treated is an absolute disgrace. At the end of the day, I'm a nice person and loving husband and father. I've been called a bad father, I've been called a bad husband and my wife has been called a bad mother. Things always hurt that are said about my family, and for people to call my wife a bad mother is unbelievable. I'm a strong person, I'm a strong family man, I'm a strong husband and a strong father.

I always wanted to be a hairdresser.

People can say what they like. But me and Victoria will always stay together as husband and wife.

I've got more clothes than Victoria.

It's one thing I like about America - they respect the sportsman. They put them up on a pedestal. They don't try to knock them down. And that's a great thing, to be respected by the whole country. It's so patriotic!

You can practice penalties till the cows come home but it is different when you are out there in front of 60,000 people and the pressure is on.

I have come to accept that if I have a new haircut it is front page news. But having a picture of my foot on the front page of a national newspaper is a bit exceptional.

[on media claims that pal Tom Cruise has tried to convert him and his wife Victoria to Scientology] I respect any person's religion but he's never pushed anything on to us. Friends don't do that.

There is no greater feeling than seeing your children smile.

I've probably had more contact with Judaism than with any other religion... I used to wear the traditional Jewish skullcaps when I was younger, and I also went along to some Jewish weddings with my grandfather.

My grandmother and grandfather were huge royalists. Every Christmas, they would sit us down and make us watch the queen's speech. So now, I sit my kids down and make us watch the king's speech.