HANGOVERS & HANGOUTS
The former England soccer player dishes on his worst and best travels
It was the perfect place to propose,
I thought, as I popped the question to my partner, Kate, in Abu Dhabi, at the top of the St Regis hotel in November. The place was fantastic. We were treated like a million dollars, the sun was out and I got time to chill with the kids. And Kate said yes.
The school holidays
and the football fixture list dictate my travelling life. For holidays, I try to book stuff for when the children are off. For my BT Sport pundit job, it will all depend on where the English teams are drawn in the Champions League.
Portugal is my go-to relaxation destination
as the kids love it and we always have a great time there. The way of life is simple, the weather is good and I’m fortunate to have a place there. It’s a home from home.
I loved Moscow
way more than I thought I would. I was there for last summer’s World Cup and there was a lot of scaremongering, but I didn’t see any trouble. I’m not the world’s biggest architecture buff but Moscow is the one place you go where that just hits you — the sheer size of these buildings and the history behind them … it’s all-consuming.
A decent gym
is essential for me. I like good food, a comfortable room and a short transfer from the airport, but I love a gym.
I can’t wait to go skiing.
When I was a player, winter sports were a complete no-no. Now I’ve retired, I can go. And my kids — who are 12, 10 and seven — are the perfect age for it.
I love the vibe in Tel Aviv.
It’s a seriously chilled place. You could just go to the beach and sit there, and no one would bother you. I went five or six times about 15 years ago because a friend of mine lived there. It wasn’t an overly football-orientated place. People weren’t too concerned about me so I could blend into the background.
I played keep-ups
on a helipad in Dubai on holiday once. Me and [former professional England footballer] Bobby Zamora went up there — it’s more than 1,000ft (304m) high. It was a surreal moment really, because you don’t ever anticipate playing football on a helipad. It was risky too — if the ball had gone over the edge. Thankfully, we’ve both got fantastic first touches.
Food is important
for me on holiday and Cyprus is fantastic for food. I used to hit the dance floors of Ayia Napa in my youth but those days are long gone. I’m way too old for that sort of stuff.
I’ve never had a hangover
like the one I had in Moscow after we beat Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League Final. We stayed in the hotel but we definitely made the most of it.
I could have drowned in Las Vegas
when I was in a nightclub called Tryst, which had a big pool that you were forbidden to jump into. I thought it would be a great idea to dive in fully clothed.
The security fellow dragged me out by my collar but the bloke who managed the club was a Manchester United fan, so I got lucky. I remained there for another couple of hours drenched in water, with loads of people sniggering behind me. The Dorchester in London
is untouchable in my view. I love it. I just love the attention to detail. They remember you. They remember the drink that you like and they remember the little things you’ve asked for on previous visits. Mykonos was unbelievably beautiful,
know how to spoil you, as I found out when I took my family to one of the big hotels there. When we got back to our room after a day at the beach, they had carved all our names in this massive ice sculpture, which was a really nice touch.
I thought, when I went there with Kate at the end of last summer. We stayed at the Cavo Tagoo hotel, which is all white walls and infinity pools, and had a great time.
Hotels in Dubai