I'm not looking for sympathy. If there's other footballers addicted to gambling, then maybe me speaking about my battle might help them.

Sometimes you look at footballers and think they're selfish or they don't bring a good image to society. But sometimes people underestimate footballers and their capacity to have a strong opinion and sympathy for others.

I have to smile because we, as footballers, are really lucky to do the job we do. But this is not just a job for me. It's my passion.

I feel sorry sometimes for these sportsmen and women who put in just as much effort as the footballers. For example, athletes train at least as hard as footballers but have to be happy if they can earn enough to finance a decent education.

A friend at school was always being laughed at because his father emptied dustbins for a living. But those who laughed worshipped famous footballers. This is an example of our topsy-turvy view of 'success.' Who would we miss most if they did not work for a month, the footballer or the garbage collector?

There is such a strange microculture to footballers' fashion and style and the design that goes around it.

Darts players are probably a lot fitter than most footballers in overall body strength.

If you look at the footballers you look at our celebrity culture we seem to be saying 'This is the way you want to be'. We seem to be a society that celebrates all the wrong people.

Now learning a bit more about footballers I think what they need to do well is someone who really wants to stay in the background and just be a strong support.

I feel sorry sometimes for these sportsmen and women who put in just as much effort as the footballers. For example athletes train at least as hard as footballers but have to be happy if they can earn enough to finance a decent education.