When you put better teams in front of you, that's when the big players rise to that occasion.

It was a real eye opener and I'm really pleased that I spent a year out there [in Real Madrid].

You're on your own out there with ten mates.

Give me a great Champions League game or an exciting Premier League game ahead of an international match and I'd love that to reverse. A lot of people have lost interest in England games, it is quite hard to watch.

I loved [Real Madrid]. It was a real experience, playing with a great team. One of the first questions I'm often asked is 'What was Madrid like?' It's got that mystique about it. It's a magical place and a magical team, and everything about it is great.

Best players I played with? Striker wise, well, I had a great record with Emile Heskey - he would be one of my favourite partnerships because we were so different and worked together so well.

I think it's getting tougher and tougher, all the big teams are getting stronger and there's more of them.