I’ll tell you what’s great about the game of football in this country: honesty. Why? Well, you try having a bet on the Italian league or elsewhere on the continent, and you’ll see why!

Football in this country has the passion to keep the fans and punters loyal. It’s just one of the things which makes me proud to have been a professional footballer in England.

That’s why pundits and so-called experts talking about teams having nothing to play for in mid-table is a load of bollocks. Aside from money being heavily involved in today’s game, with places up the league ladder offering greater rewards, there is still a lot of personal pride in players’ performances.