I've worked extremely hard. There's always that part that people don't see, the things you do behind the scenes.
— Vincent Kompany
There is a lot of talent and a lot of good things happening and coming from Molenbeek, but unfortunately, it has had to deal with a very, very long time of being ignored, really, and it was very easy, even in the neighbourhood where I grew up, to just fall off the grid, and nobody would notice it.
Someone might come close to dying, and they'll enjoy life much more than everyone else. I came close to the death of my sports career, and I enjoy everything coming my way.
Over the past decade, I've been lucky to have witnessed and played a part in Manchester City's rise as a club and a brand.
Knife crime isn't an issue that's going to go away just because of repression and police action. Of course we need to support the forces, but it's linked to prevention, and prevention often comes through education.
I'm kind of the wrong guy to bet against.
The main thing for me is to consider sport at an equal level as you would consider mathematics or poetry at school. It's another place where you can send your kids; they can have fun, but you can expect them to have good teachers, and you can expect them to progress.
I kind of press pause when it's a derby, and the season doesn't matter to me anymore; it's all about the derby.
I will say it loud and clear: at Manchester City, it is all about what you choose to look at. If you look at the money spent on players, you will only ever see that side of City. If you look at the bigger plan, which is investment in the community, facilities, and youth teams, you realise there is heart and soul in this club.
My motivation has always been high. I've never doubted myself.
You can't win every game playing fantasy football.
Whichever work you do, people go through life having several priorities. I know my football is what got me here. The work I do for SOS or my charity work in general has always been a priority for me, and then my family is a priority as well, so you set yourself different things, and they just balance each other out.
Within my first year of moving abroad living on my own, my sister got ill - she got cancer - and at the same time, my mum got cancer, and she passed away. I think at that time it was a hard challenge for me to deal with it, but in a way, I have always taken strength out of anything that has come at me.
My mum was always more pushing me towards the academic side; she wasn't really interested in me having a professional football career.
Racism is felt the most definitely in grassroots football.
One thing I am sure about Manchester is that people are proud of their history. They are proud of their football, music, the industrial revolution, and all the amazing things that were invented here.
I don't think you can underestimate the impact of the gaffer.
There is one thing that is stronger than everything, and it is the colour of the shirt that you wear, and that is who you'll back.
A win is a win, whether you do it the difficult way or the easy way.
When you come so many times to the end of your career, you understand that you have to appreciate every moment. It's the story of life.
Chelsea are one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League.
Sometimes it goes your way, and sometimes it doesn't. It's part of what football is about.
I kind of almost get enjoyment out of adversity in life.
Ultimately if you can win playing a certain way, then why not do it?
What we experience in the Premier League is so intense.
I have dreamed of Brazil all my life. As a child, I had videos of Brazil, of their World Cup wins, of Pele, and of all the big players.
Guardiola has come to City with a very unique style. And he wants to continue that philosophy. We had to work to adapt to his style.
I think, mainly, you always look to keep your strong points in the team.
Youth is always the future of any country.
I never thought I could enjoy all this wealth without putting it to good use.
I've received much from Manchester - a great career at the highest level, unconditional support from the fans through thick and thin, a lovely family, and so much more to be grateful for.
I don't want to change how I am, how I play, so if it means taking more risks, it's always going to be the case, and that's fine for me.
I always believe that luck and faith will be on my side more than the other side.
I love the derby because of the banter and rivalry. If you live outside of Manchester, you can take it out of context sometimes, where you can think it's all hate, and I don't think it is.
I don't think that people understand enough about each other's cultures any more.
If a team prepares well, a good team becomes even better.
I just enjoy training. I enjoy being there, enjoy coming into games and training sessions where I can feel that I'm as good or better than the players I have to play against or with.
The goal, being bold about it, is to stop homelessness in Manchester. I've been in this community for 11 years now - my wife Carla is from Manchester, the kids are Mancs, born and bred - so homelessness is not an issue we can shy away from.
It's great to know that you can rely on anyone.
Brussels is sort of a mini London in the sense that if you think about putting a football pitch in London, people laugh at you. There is just no space.
Being a successful team is maybe not enough. It's about setting a standard, not just for ourselves but also for the youth that is coming through at Manchester City.
Belgium's 1986 team is like the Christmas movie that they bring out every single year. That World Cup is something we get to see and hear about all the time. It is part of our general education in Belgium.
As long as I feel that inner strength, I'll be all right.
You can't compare Barcelona and Bayern Munich to Manchester City.
When I read or study, I don't do it for the degree - if I fail, it doesn't matter, but it just takes me out of this world where you're the centre of attention all the time. You just become a normal bloke when you're setting yourself those kinds of targets.
I'm not worried about getting extra game time, extra minutes, and all this kind of stuff that so many other players will worry about.
I was extremely competitive, so for me becoming a footballer was not necessarily because it was about being the best - it was about winning.
When I was a kid, it was very common to go places and get racially abused, starting from age six all the way up until you got into the first team.
I have been part of very successful City teams, but it was never at the end of a dominant season that we were able to win a title.
Many players win the league for the first time, and they come back, and it's something you have to feel, to see in their eyes if things have changed or not.
