I don't know if we'd have been as dominant as we were last season. The new things, the new ideas the manager brought in everyone took them on board so well. He is special.

I'm not the kind of player to see out my time and sit with my bum on the bench too much. I want to be involved. That's my character.

There's a few ugly ones. Carlo is probably the best looking [on chelsea players]

In terms of not retiring? I don't want to leave and think to myself, "Maybe I should have stayed a bit longer". I'm dwelling on it. I have turned down a few Premier League offers. But the fact is, after being at Chelsea for so long and a year with Manchester City, I don't want to get involved in a relegation dogfight.

I'm not silly. I understand that, with age and at different parts of your career, you have different challenges.

Obviously, it has taken time to work with the players around me and with so many new faces coming in the summer, in a way it's been more difficult.

To be honest, I was Mum's boy. Always was, always will be.