“No one’s ever really given me any style advice. I wear what I want, and it doesn’t matter what other people think.”

My priority is always the family and Victoria [Beckham] and I always ensure we are there for our children. We work hard but family comes first.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Being at a club that supported me meant a lot.

That was in the past – we’re in the future now.

I didn’t want to go there [America] at 34 years old and for people to say he’s only going for the money. It’s not what I’m going out there to do

I’ve always come back from adversity, and I’ve always had the mentality of proving people wrong.

You will go through tough times, it’s about getting through them.

With United, we’d all grown up together, we all wanted to win the biggest trophy in football. We did it togther.

[Meeting Mandela] was the highlight of my career; to meet such a great man and a strong man and such a passionate man about sport and life will always stay with me.

I’m not silly enough to think I’m going to change the whole culture … but I do have a belief that soccer can go to a different level.

To have a successful team, you have to have great players of course – but you have to have good personalities and good people as well.

I love little kids looking up to me, young players looking up to me, respecting me.

Everyone’s been so quick to say that I’m really thick or I haven’t got a brain. People will think whatever they want to think.

My secret is practice.

It’s is always nice to be respected as a footballer. I am going to go out and enjoy the game and if I can set one or two goals up then so be it – I would love to.

Some people think that I haven’t got the brains to be that clever.

Woman’s advice has little value, but he who won’t take it is a fool.

How is it possible to expect that mankind will take advice when they will not so much as take warning.

Not to follow the advice of our confessor is pride and a want of faith.

The secret is to moisturize the face. I’ve been doing that since I was 17 years old. (on looking young)

If a lump of soot falls into the soup and you cannot conveniently get it out, stir it well in and it will give the soup a French taste.

Person who chases two rabbits catches neither.

My mama always told me never put off till tomorrow people you can kill today.

For every snake, there is a ladder; for every ladder, a snake.