I've felt a little tired, but I'm only 24. I love playing football. That's my job and that's what I love doing.

We stay as a team. I might be England captain, but that doesn't mean I get treated differently.

The criticism hurts sometimes and I worry about the effect on my family.

I have come to accept that if I have a new haircut it is front page news. But having a picture of my foot on the front page of a national newspaper is a bit exceptional.

I'm a very stubborn person. I think it has helped me over my career. I'm sure it has hindered me at times as well, but not too many times. I know that if I set my mind to do something, even if people are saying I can't do it, I will achieve it.

I don't think I have reached a plateau. I have just reached the level where I am today. But I need to go above it.

That goal [in the 1998 World Cup] changed me-not as a person, but as a player. People have looked at me differently ever since. It gave me confidence and now I feel I can achieve anything.