I was a professional at Norwich for 10 years and associated with the club for nearly 15.

No matter what the figures are in the workplace in terms of wages, you either feel a valued member of your staff, or you don't.

I've played with, and against, some of the best players in the world and have experienced so much that professional football has to offer.

This is the difficulty with not picking up points away from home: the home games become that much more critical.

If you want to become a professional football player at any level, when you're growing up, you have to make sacrifices, and it's very difficult. It's not easy, but you have to train hard, you have to live right, and you have to rest.

When you've been at the top of the sport for so many years, it's your life, and it becomes very difficult just to quit boxing and find something else to be happy.

Before, I would spend all my hours at training, come home, sleep, eat, watch football, sleep, and go back to training the next day. Now I do the school run, train, pick up my daughter. I am living in the real world. I am a father now. That has given me more satisfaction than football.

My dad told me, 'If you're going to go out there and play baseball, or you're going to play basketball or football, work hard at it no matter what. I want you to have fun with your buddies, but you have to put in the time because this is your craft.' He didn't just want me to be good. He pushed me to that next level.