Alan Pardew

“I look at Rafa Benitez in his time at Liverpool, he had difficult periods and the same goes for Brendan Rodgers in the same job now. These difficult periods come and you have to accept that. I did as well as I could at Newcastle.”

“I remember the chief executive at Southampton after Nicola Cortese thanking me for the platform I left them. That recognition is always nice. That's like winning a trophy for me.”

“For managers like me what is our dream? Is it what I did with Newcastle when we finished fifth? Or what Roy Hodgson did in taking Fulham to the Europa League final?”

“But what's wrong with asking players to use their imagination, their game intelligence, as well as oomph and spirit? I don't just want them to do basic things. I'm asking them to do complicated things.”

“I experienced great professionalism in Dutch football. I don't want to give a stereotypical view of them, but they are needy in terms of wanting to know exactly what the game plan is, what their role is, that information.”

“The pleasure of winning at this football club matches nothing I've ever experienced before. But if you're going to get those ultimate highs, you're going to get the ultimate lows.”

“As a manager you're going to have some bad times, some really bad times. If you're going to walk away, then in my view you do not have the make-up to be a manager or a leader of men.”

“In the search for a new challenge I'm glad that I came across ADO Den Haag.”

“I always ask two questions when we are closing in on a deal: What currency are we dealing in and how many people are expecting to get paid as part of this transfer?”

“I consider this to be one of the biggest jobs in the country and to get the opportunity to be the manager of Newcastle is not something I'm going to give up lightly.”

“At Newcastle, I had a team at the bottom of the table with a crowd that was very angry at what had gone on at the club for a period of time.”

“I've never bet in a casino; it's just not something I do.”

“Success can be a legacy.”

“I did almost take a job in China because I thought it might be good for me to go abroad and experience what I think the best coaches in the Premier League have had. It helps you learn. You have to evolve.”

“The only gambling I do is on a Saturday afternoon when I might put on two wingers or two strikers.”

“The technical director's role is very important - not just on contracts, not just on signing players and seeing through the philosophy but also in taking a bit of weight off the manager.”

“Crystal Palace were my first club and one I hold dear to my heart.”

“But what I'm not is someone who just comes in and becomes a lapdog to the board. Anyone who knows my personality knows that's not me.”

“The England job is unique and brings a certain pressure. I've experienced some of that pressure at the clubs I've been at.”

“Does it help Dutch teams in the Champions League because they don't have to be at it in the league? I think it does. I experienced the disparity.”