I got distracted, I think – I lost track of why I love the game. I thought Martin O’Neill was a clear favourite for the Ireland job. I’d met him on a few occasions. We’d done some TV work together. We’d done a couple of Champions League matches, away from home, and I just liked his company. And I’m hoping he might have liked mine a little bit. So when I thought, ‘He’s got a chance of getting the job’, I also thought, ‘Maybe, just maybe, he might keep me in mind.’ I thought the job would suit Martin, in terms of his character and his experience, even his age. I thought the challenge was perfect for him. And before you know it, he rang me and said, ‘D’you fancy coming up for a chat?’ And I thought, ‘All right – interesting.’ I’d a real enthusiasm about me then, because, after my time at United and especially at Ipswich, I’d lost a bit of love for the game – which I hate saying. Because, for me, football is still the best game on the planet. Was I expecting it?
