The game shapes you. I played for 20 years at all levels, apart from the Premier League. I had a disaster at Bristol City, where in two years I learnt more about myself, the industry, fans, how you get treated, than I ever learnt in my career.
I'm not one of those football people who thinks and talks nothing but football.
I was a Liverpool fan as a kid.
You have to have some form of talent. Getting to a skill-set when you can do something is achievable. Getting to a skill-set when you can do it an elite level is a different thing.
Life's not a dress-rehearsal. So if you want to do it; do it.
I had a lot of tough experiences at Bristol City. I came there for a few quid and was getting booed off by fans, got injured. I was out of the team due to injury but also because I was having an awful time playing wise. But they were amazing experiences.
Life coaching, the mental and physical well-being of footballers, is going to be really important. I don't mean necessarily in a deep psychological way. But they're surrounded by a lot of people. Important people, seemingly. Not always. But important in their worlds. They're mini companies.
Anyone can take the wheel of the ship in calm water but it's not so easy when it's not calm water. You can't just enjoy the good times, you have to be resilient in the tough times.
Whether people think I'm old fashioned, I don't care. I've always been very comfortable in my own skin. I've never been a brandist, I don't use words like philosophy, that sort of stuff isn't for me.
I'll let others worry about what is trendy. When I was a player I wasn't a fashion item, I was someone who got the job done. I hope I'm like that as a manager.
I was sacked at Watford for a change of business plan. Anything can happen in this game. I can't say I am never surprised because there are some surprises and there are still some crazy things that happen.
Most of our players come from the Championship; Chelsea can get more or less anyone from around the world. Some clubs in this division have owners who say it doesn't matter what they spend. I don't know what happened to Financial Fair Play but it didn't exactly level the playing field.
Nonsensical decisions are made all the time in football and then really sensible decisions are made all the time. It really is the maddest business but everyone knows that. We all love it.
The teams that you come across, they are not physically super-human, they are just very good. So it is asking what do we about that. How do we take on the challenge?
I saw Metallica, I'm not a major Metallica fan, but I like music enough to get invited and went.
I remember all the magic markers of the first time I heard the Stone Roses and that Madchester vibe, the Verve and all these groups coming up.
