Jonathan Woodgate

“I don't mind if a fan is constructive in his criticism, no problem at all.”

“People always ask me about my debut and how bad it was. I always ask them how their Real Madrid debut went. That is my answer to that one. I wasn't bothered in the slightest because I was playing for the biggest team in the world.”

“With my injuries, I would not get on the phone to my parents. I would not get on the phone to my sister, my friends or my wife, I would just get on with it. Maybe I should have and it would have helped.”

“Actually, I was more unsure of myself growing up, shy. I was nervous as a kid. I grew into this person, the better I got at football, the more I grew as a person. The two went together, the more I played, the better I got and the better I got, the more confident and positive I became.”

“I'll be positive. That just comes naturally to me. I was like that as a player, that's how I coped with the injuries and all the other negative things that happen.”

“I've always wanted to play for my hometown team, always been an ambition. My father's a fan, my family are fans, my friends are fans and I'm a fan.”

“When I was in Spain, I found that tough because I was injured for a year. You cannot really go out on a weekend if you are injured because you are doing everything you can to get fit.”

“But I got back fit playing for Boro and back in the England squad, and the one thing about me as a player was that I would never give up, always kept on going and tried to find something within.”

“At Newcastle, I probably played my best football because I had a manager who believed in me.”

“Sometimes people just aren't built for football. When I was younger Craig Bellamy told me I was a bit too quick for my own body.”

“My career could have been so much more, but that's life. You've got to get on with it.”

“I want to remain many years at Real Madrid. I want to win trophies here. There is no bigger club in the world. No place I could be prouder to play.”

“I'm just one of those people. I can't stand doing nothing... I like being busy, if I hadn't played football, it would be the same. I need work.”

“The only things that are important are your family and the way your mind thinks. It's about doing things at the right time. There's nothing wrong with going to a restaurant; you can't live like a nun. Everything in moderation.”

“I love football and leading a team.”

“My granddad lived round the corner from Ayresome Park, on Brompton Street. My dad was born on Brompton Street and grew up there. It's in the blood, I'm a Boro fan, I love Middlesbrough and the dream has always been to play for Middlesbrough.”

“Gyms can be very boring on your own.”

“I waited a year for my debut and then scored an own goal and got sent off.”

“With the pressures on the game these days, you won't always get players who are exactly the same. Some have strong mentalities and some don't. If a player has a really strong mentality he might still be struggling inside.”

“Most problems to do with your thighs, your hamstrings, your calves, come from your back. It's the same for everyone.”