MY SEVEN WISHES FOR 2021
SO 2020 is nearly done and none of us will forget these 12 months in a hurry. But a new year offers new hope and the opportunity to dream.
These are my seven wishes for 2021. I hope it will be full of excitement and opportunity for you all.
A LEGEND TO LAND THE BIGGEST PRIZE
The Champions League has become an obsession for Manchester City. My old club have made incredible progress over the last decade, but this is the one trophy they crave more than anything else. Winning it would enhance their status. I’m desperate for them to fulfil that objective.
They are favourites to progress against Borussia Monchengladbach in the last 16, though I should warn anyone who expects the tie to be a formality to think again. The Germans have some outstanding players, not least French forwards Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea.
After the disappointment City suffered against Lyon last season, they will be determined to make amends and I want Sergio Aguero leading the charge. If he doesn’t sign another contract, leaving with a Champions League winners’ medal would be the perfect send-off.
AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER
hOW good was 2018 when the weather was perfect and the country was right behind an england team that almost made history? That is how a summer should be, when the mood is great and everything feels right.
I’m expecting to be involved in euro 2020 through punditry work and, more than anything, that england go all the way. People may sniff at this observation but I genuinely believe we are not far away from it all clicking.
every member of Gareth Southgate’s squad is hungry. I look at Trent Alexander-Arnold, the best right back in the world; harry Kane, one of the top five No 9s in the business, and Jordan henderson, who is a true leader and inspiration. Any nation at the euros would want those guys.
Then I look at the excitement around players such as Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish and James Maddison; John Stones is back in form and I expect he will be back in the squad. england will give this a proper go. France and Belgium provide the biggest threat.
MORE TIME WITH ROY
I LOve working with Roy Keane on Sky, though we don’t always agree, such as when I spoke about wanting to see more players with a smile on their face!
My followers on Instagram enjoy my behind-the- scenes videos with Roy, but he doesn’t understand the attraction of social media and what he calls ‘all that nonsense’, so I don’t think he’ll be joining any time soon!
When you work with him, it’s sink or swim. The first time we were together on Tv, I said I’d ‘burst on to the scene’, and he replied with a wry smile, ‘Did you burst on to the scene? very few defenders burst on to the scene’.
I fought my corner and, since then, he has been as good as gold with me. he was a legend as a player and I know I could never compete with him in terms of medals. What I like to do, though, is take him out of his comfort zone and see his reactions.
It’s never dull when we’re on air. I’ve had hundreds of messages telling me we should do a travel show. And while Roy has never hidden his ambition to return to coaching, I’m keen to spend more time with him in 2021. I don’t know if the feeling is mutual!
THE RETURN OF A SUPER CLUB
TheRe was only one foreign club to follow when I was growing up: AC Milan. In my early teens, they were frightening and I can rattle off the names of the superstars without thinking: Andriy Shevchenko, hernan Crespo,
Kaka, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Cafu.
What a team! everything about them was class, from the red and black shirt to the way they played.
Kaka, in particular, was glorious. Manchester City tried to sign him and it would have been a dream to be his team-mate. he made football look effortless.
AC Milan have had a spell in the wilderness while Juventus have dominated Serie A, but Milan went into Christmas top of the league, a point ahead of Inter and 10 clear of Juve. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has rolled back the years and they are dreaming of great things. It would be fantastic to see them win the title.
NEW SUPERSTAR IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
eRLING hAALAND is tearing things up for Borussia Dortmund but what an incredible signing he would be for a club in england. This 20- year- old is breaking records all over the place and looks like he would fit perfectly into our game.
he is a big lad and, for his size, he shouldn’t have the attributes he does, but the Norwegian is quick, strong and works hard for the team.
his left foot is like a hammer and he is head and shoulders the best young player in europe. I’m absolutely convinced he will score 400-500 goals in his career.
SUNDAY AT SILVERSTONE
FORMuLA ONe was never my thing until I watched Drive To Survive on Netflix. If you haven’t seen it, I would thoroughly recommend you do. It is a behind-the-scenes documentary about the 2018 and 2019 World Drivers’ Championship and it gave me a new appreciation of Lewis hamilton.
Whenever I hear Lewis speak, it is uplifting. he obviously has a God- given talent but he has shown what you can achieve by never giving up and continuing to work hard.
What we are seeing from him is greatness. It would be a privilege to see him drive at the British Grand Prix.
POSITIVE TELEVISION
A LOT of my time this year has been devoted to working on a documentary that will air on Sky late in January. It’s about racism in football and my experiences.
It has been more than six months in the making and I’ve interviewed managers, former players, fans and numerous stakeholders in the men’s and women’s game.
It has been such an enjoyable project to be involved in and has made me think about so many issues, see things from different perspectives and I’m excited for it to air. My hope is that people watch it with an open mind.
When I talk about this subject, I never go down the route of bias or being blinkered to views. I want to be educated and understand why people think the way they do, while looking to learn as much as I can. hopefully we can continue to make progress.