Quotes

Nobody expects a footballer to have any kind of an IQ, which is a bit of an unfair stereotype.

If I could have been anyone in the world, it would have been Ronaldinho Gaúcho. He's fantastic, I love watching him.

When you take a lot of stick you want to ram it down people's throats.

I think about all my successes and failures, and sometimes the failures stick in your head as much as the wins. But you do move on.

I'm a very private person, and you have a lot of people looking into your personal life, away from football. That's the one thing that I don't like, but I always remember how lucky we are that we're playing football.

My dad shaped the footballing side of me, and Mum shaped me as a person. I've always been very close to her - we've only ever had one argument, and that was over something stupid when I was 13.

Of course, there will be few people who are sympathetic but you don't become a great team overnight, no matter how much money you have at your disposal.

I didn't want to be the rebel who was bottom of the class, so I worked hard. They wanted me to stay on for A-Levels, but football came calling - that was my real love.