If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. His passing and shooting is of the highest level and he’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time.

Yes, I do like to be in control. I do like everything to be laid out, to know what I'm doing. I'm very impatient. I like things done yesterday, which is probably a fault of mine. I like things to be neat and tidy and organised. I say what I want and show what I want and I keep things private.

It does not bother me that some say I'm dull and boring because the people that do know me will tell you a different story. It is very difficult to be open with people you don't know. There is nothing I can do about the fact that the real me does not get across and it is probably difficult to know the real me.

There's no way the future's over for Martin Keown, Tony Adams or David Seaman.

My motto in life is 'if you give 100 per cent then no one can ask any more'.

There was a big possibility that I would have had to leave Newcastle had Ruud Gullit stayed as manager.

I don't watch a lot of TV, to be honest. With three kids I have my hands full.