“In England, it's a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it's much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury.”

“I think when you're 10 years old, it's too much to see something with the threat of death in every episode. Kids are better left naive about certain things.”