“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 want to be an entrepreneur too; I like the business side of things. When I was younger I wanted to be a vet or a tightrope walker. But I have no sense of balance and I can't bear animals dying, so I abandoned both ideas.”