“I don’t watch football,” he said. “When I’m finished with training, I go home and watch movies, TV shows, and disconnect completely. I’ve never watched a World Cup or Champions League final. Nothing. It’s something I’ve always done. We watch enough film in training to have an understanding of things.
"I love football, trust me - it’s given me the life that I have: to be able to travel and not have to worry about things maybe other people have to worry about. To be able to help my family when I can - but football is not my life. I like to do other things outside of football, I’m a human being. It’s not a case of 24/7 eating, thinking, breathing soccer. I have a life outside of the game.”