I've played football my entire life, all over the world, and the one thing I've learned is that the important thing is to enjoy your work.

I used to tell the players that professional football is a part-time profession. I used to tell them it gets you ready for your life's work.

It's a life lesson that translates beyond football. You can share these things with your kids: Work hard, do things the right way and you have a chance.

I got a lot of the greatest values in life from playing sports, from playing football - teamwork, sportsmanship, my work ethic, resiliency, dedication - I got it all by being on a team.

I've been through a lot off the field. I think that kind of translates onto the field. Football serves for a lot of life lessons, and so it allows me to stay humble and continue to work.

When I was going off to training and matches at Arsenal, my mum wouldn't be on the side cheering me on: she'd be working so I'd have football boots. I saw that you had to work hard if you wanted to do anything in life.

I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I never really had a job. I was a football player, then a football coach, then a football broadcaster. It's been my life. Pro football has been my life since 1967. I've enjoyed every part of it. Never once did it ever feel like work.

I realised I'd been spoiled at Liverpool. We were used to winning. In Italy I grew up as a person. I didn't enjoy the football, mind. It was very defensive, but I became a better player because of the work I had to do around the box. Off the pitch, I learned about what to eat and what to drink to be successful, and I learned about life.

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