I have always said that management is not something I fancied, but it's suddenly, naturally started to enter my head.
— Gareth Barry
I think playing international football burns players out, but I was in and out of the England squad so never felt that.
If you win games, you think things are comfortable, and they are not. The best players don't think that way, and that's why they get to where they are: they don't worry about what has gone on and think only about the next game.
I'm desperate to play Champions League football, and that's why I have to leave Villa.
For me, Goodison is the toughest away ground to come to. I have experienced it.
Sometimes you're just not in the manager's thoughts.
Against Chelsea, you will have periods in the game when you are right up against it, when they keep the ball. They are pretty solid the way they set their team up.
You do hear a lot about 'player power,' but I'm one of those who believes the manager is there to take control, to be in charge.
Everton fans don't just come to watch the football. They are there for Everton, the club. They really believe in the history of the club.
As a player, you always want to play - it would be wrong to say otherwise - but you can always understand the manager's reasons if he decides to leave you out.
At school, I was always a central midfielder from a young age. Then, when I joined Villa at 16, the pre-season didn't go too well, so they looked at me as a centre-half.
I played a lot of games for Villa, and one of my regrets is not winning a trophy there - that still hurts, and that's why the big games are important.
I treat the young boys as I wanted to be treated when I came through at Aston Villa.
Playing until I'm 40 is definitely a possibility.
I started my career in an era when footballers were different. There was a different culture.
I had my time in the England shirt and won a lot of caps.
If players know their role, it is easier to keep to them.
I just take it a season at a time because I know in football, things can change so quickly.
We never seem to make things easy for ourselves at Everton, and at City, it was the same, having to come from behind to get ahead in the big games.
I knew my first game at Everton wasn't going to be a stroll around the pitch.
Having been around, I know how difficult it is to get results in this league. It doesn't just happen by buying players. It needs a lot of hard work.
It was Martin O'Neill who said, 'You're a central midfielder.' He put faith into players. He was very clever at getting into players' heads, leaving little remarks to make me believe more. The players at Villa all moved up another level under him.
The England manager didn't think I was good enough, and as a professional, you have to take it. Sure, it was disappointing, but all you can do is carry on playing well for your club and hope it changes. Unfortunately, it didn't.
The easy part, for me, is always playing my football.
I feel very lucky that I'm left-footed because the number of us around is very small.
When I started my career, we were running around water parks and ridiculous things like that. You used to drive in dreading pre-season back then, but now you know it's going to be pretty tough, but it's going to be probably what you need. It's going to be good for you instead of just slogging away.
To play in the Premier League again would be amazing.
Burn-out can be an issue if you are playing too many games.
While I could still play in the Premier League, I really did not want to go abroad. I was not thinking about winding down my career.
Martin O'Neill has definitely got the best out of me.
Any crowd that gets on your back makes it difficult, but you are going to get that if things aren't going well. The fans have got their right to give their opinion.
In my head, I felt if I'd stayed at City and got a chance, I could have done a good job. It was made clear that wasn't going to happen, though.
Both Everton and City have fantastic sets of fans who really get behind the players.
I have played a lot of games, had a good international career, and picked up a lot of caps, but it is not going to be complete without winning trophies, so that is my main goal.
I like going down to London for a couple of days, but it's a place where I'd never fancy living - too busy, too lively, people on top of you.
I used to say I preferred midfield because I enjoy trying to make goals, and scoring is a buzz.
I'm never going to be seen as an attacking midfielder who's going to dribble past anyone, create untold chances, and score lots of goals, but going forward is something I've always enjoyed doing.
As a younger player, I never really thought about where I should be on the field. It was just about doing a job.
In 2012, we had just won the league with City, and I was really high on confidence going into the Euros when I picked up an injury, which meant I couldn't go.
I want to come and help the team. That's always been the same for me wherever I have played.
