I've played at centre-half plenty of times before.

There have been ups and downs over the years, but that's in the past, and now I'm just looking forward and focussed on the future ahead.

I've had injuries that have hampered my career but that is part and parcel of being a footballer. You just have to bounce back and remain focused.

To be honest, from England Under-16s, through the 17s and 18s, really all the way through my youth career, I played at centre-half. For some reason, when I made my debut at Everton, I just played in central midfield, and it went from there.

When you become a professional footballer, there's no written contract that says you have to strive to play first-team football.

People have this idea that opera singers are overweight and sit at home eating bonbons. But I consider myself an athlete.

I think being an athlete prepares you for more things than people give us credit for.

There is a movement in club football, which I don't necessarily consider a prime example of solidarity, because it leads us to conclude the rich are getting richer and they are using everything in the market to create an exodus from Africa.