I only deal in what is real. To be honest, I've never thought about what I could get out of football or where it would take me. I just wanted to play. I'm the same now.

For years Paul Scholes has been one of the best players in the Premiership. He's incredible. He has always been under-rated throughout his career. He's a team player, a one and two-touch footballer who makes good decisions on the pitch and makes his team play.

When I was younger I was trying to do what I wanted to do, not what the game wanted me to do.

When I was 20 or 21, I didn't... I won't say care about anything, but you're like in your own world - you made something that you always wanted to do, and then you kind of think only about your family and yourself.

Everybody knows how much I love Arsenal - I became a fan. And to be out here [in front of the Emirates as a statue] celebrating a goal against Tottenham, there's not much else to say after thatLike I've said before, Once a Gooner, always a Gooner.

No, because retiring is stopping. If I wanted to stop, I would have stopped.

I have to say that when I was young, when any politician was talking I wasn't even interested. Maybe they were saying some nice stuff, but then if you put Michael Jordan on TV, I was interested!