It's about working hard, resting when you need to, leading a healthy life, and having a support structure around you. These factors help you improve.
One moment that changed my mentality was the first time I went to Mali when I was six. Soon after that trip, Barcelona signed me, but when I was there I saw children like me, six years old, who didn't have shoes, while I had the opportunity to fulfil my dream. It shocked me. I was six and I didn't understand.
I usually sprint for 20 to 30 metres - occasionally 50 to 60 metres maximum. But no footballer ever sprints a complete 100 metres during a game.
My dream was to be a football player.
It was difficult at Villa because they'd struggled for two years and I'd come mainly from Barcelona B in the second division in Spain. I needed time to adapt but Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde had to win games; they didn't have time to think about little things about my game. It was a bad moment, it was such a hard, sad experience.
Offers from Madrid or Barca will come when they come, but my mentality is to continue growing as a player.
I have trained with expert sprinters many times and they all agree running with the ball and running without the ball requires two completely different techniques.
I don't have to be stressed about it. When people watch videos of teams, they might see a certain player and think, 'If we kick him a little bit, maybe he'll get angry, maybe he'll get a booking.
I think the time I spent at Aston Villa was difficult. It was a difficult time and a difficult moment for the team.
If I can adapt to different tactics I think I will be a better player.
When I left Middlesbrough I went back there and bought a lot of shirts from the club shop and signed them for the fans. They were very good to me and I wanted to say thank you.
That has to help if you know the mentality of your opponent, and how he wants to play.
Yeah definitely, I have to be brave. There are some bad tackles that we don't like. But it's not my job to look at that, it's the referee's job, he has to see what is going on. All I try to do is keep going.
Barcelona is the best education possible. Training with Messi is something I will never forget - he was always the last off the pitch and working incredibly hard in the gym. If he is the best player in the world and works so hard, who are we? You can have all the crazy talent but you need to work.
Darren Campbell, the British Olympic sprinter, was my sprint coach at Middlesbrough - yet the best advice he gave me was to slow down. That might sound strange but he said: 'You have too much speed - you don't always need to run at 100 per cent.' I was used to running flat out every time, but he told me, 'You know how quick you are, slow down.'
Clearly Bolt would beat me over 100 metres on the track. But on grass, over 30 metres with a ball at my feet? I'm winning that race every time!
I know my game is about trying to get past players and I know that if a bad tackle is coming my way, I have to jump or push my body out in front, but this is football. If they try to foul and target me, then I'm doing something good.
I know the way I play is with speed and ability.
About Mali, they came to my house. We spoke and after that, the guy posed for a picture giving me a Mali shirt. With Spain I didn't go because I was injured. When the time comes, you will see which team I decide.
My greatest strength is my speed and power. This is what stands out more but I'll get better, I have many attributes.
