I’m going to be honest — and this might surprise you — but I’m not a natural goalscorer.

I was never a Gary Lineker or a Ruud van Nistelrooy; I never looked at myself that way. I hold the goal records for Manchester United and England and am very proud about that — yet there have been better No 9s than me.

I always wanted to score but I’ve always loved the game more than the individual stuff. My favourite players to watch were those like Paul Scholes and Xavi and I get more joy out of splitting a defence with a pass than from any goals I’ve scored myself. One of my favourite moments, for instance, was Robin van Persie’s strike versus Aston Villa