Mark Hughes

“Football's become a non-contact sport, and that's spoiled a lot of the fun for a lot of the people, including spectators.”

“Management is not about shouting and bawling, because some guys will not like that. They take it personally.”

“If Ryan Giggs was plying his trade and been the player he had been here in a foreign league, he would go straight from playing to an AC Milan or Inter Milan or any top European club out of the mix.”

“In my last years, I was conscious how I used to play the game when I first broke through. It was absolute chalk and cheese. I probably finished at the right time. There won't be many players like me in the future.”

“They say that pace is the first thing to go, but my game was never based on pace. It was about strength and power and withstanding challenges and getting in the right position.”

“I always wanted to win, but I only used to get upset if I hadn't done myself and the people around me proud - that was my motivation for always wanting to do better.”

“When I first signed schoolboy forms for United, as a midfield player, I felt for a while that I was just treading water.”

“It's no secret that I enjoyed the physical side when I was a player. I was a bumps-and-bruises man.”

“Players' moods change on a daily basis, so it depends how you find your players, and up to you to get the best out of them.”

“I've never tried to artificially create distance between myself and the players.”

“At United, there has been continuity with the manager, with the success they have had. It gives them a different dynamic.”

“At City, I didn't realise how much we had to do until we got there. Here, I didn't need to change the staff because there is quality already. So they certainly don't need me getting in the way in training by trying to show I can still play. No way.”

“Sometimes you have to park things you're not happy with, because there are more important things to be done.”

“When I come away from the ground, I'm quite quiet, but I like match day - that's when I come alive.”

“The four and a half years I had at Stoke is something I will always look back on with pride because it was a huge achievement. To be able to last in a high profile job as long as I did showed that, for the most part, I did a decent job there.”

“I'd knock people over and bruise their pride, but I never went out to hurt people. That is not acceptable, and I don't want to see it in my team.”

“I had no direct experience of a relegation scrap, but with Wales, I never had the luxury of being allowed to lose games. I was under pressure to win even the friendlies.”

“Every United player understands what United is about. The players understand it is a privilege to play for United.”

“Clearly, there comes a point where you have to demand from your front guys; goals is what sustain attackers.”

“All the major sports have video reviews, and for some reason, the Premier League, which is watched all around the world, is still in the dark ages.”