Robbie, that Leicester City team you played in was brilliant. Why don't we get teams like that any more? There are some teams I'd compare to that Leicester side, like Swansea City and Norwich City, who have fantastic managers and like to pop the ball around. With us it was really the work ethic. The work ethic of that team was unbelievable, we played for each other. These days with the amount of egos it's different. And you have a situation where one player's on a hundred grand a week. We had nothing like that. We just had unbelievable team spirit.

What do England need to do to reach the late stages of Euro 2012? I'm giving you three things. First I'd pick Steven Gerrard as captain. Second I'd pick Wayne Rooney as soon as he was available no matter if my other strikers have scored six goals between them. And third I'd give youth a chance. I'd pick Jack Wilshere if he's available, I'd pick Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, Chris Smalling, Adam Johnson. We've got nothing to lose. I'd have Theo Walcott on one wing with Micah Richards behind him and real pace on the other wing too. That's one thing we've got that no team likes playing against.

Would you urge Paul Scholes out of retirement? I'd have him in the squad. But my first-choice midfielders would be Wilshere and Gerrard.

You played with the adolescent Scholes. Did you have any idea how good he was at that age? That whole youth team was just the most unbelievable thing. There was just so much talent, Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, the Nevilles, Keith Gillespie. You had no idea at the time. Beckham wasn't the kind of player he is now then. Looking back that youth team in today's prices would be worth, what, £400m. Or maybe £401m with me the £1m.

You left Manchester United as a teenager. What would you say to Paul Pogba who appears to be mincing off at the behest of his agent? I didn't make it at Manchester United because I had no choice, I wasn't good enough, but I was lucky enough to go elsewhere and have a career. Ravel Morrison was a different kind of case, but if Sir Alex Ferguson is saying Paul Pogba has a chance of being a first-team player he should listen to him.

Do you ever get tired of being controversial and wish you could just be a bit more like Alan Shearer? I've been lucky enough to work with them all. Lee Dixon is brilliant, Alan Shearer's great, but everybody's different. Yeah I've got a mouth on me, but what I do is I give it as I see it. I don't expect people to agree with me and if everybody did I wouldn't be doing my job. I'm just fortunate the BBC allow me to do that. Look at Gary Neville; he's a fantastic pundit and he's transformed people's opinions of him in possibly the way I have. I had a chance to go on a course at Crewe – one that people like Scott Minto have been on – about being more articulate, but it's just not me. I'm not going to start using big words. But one thing I do is I know my football. I watch leagues from all over the world, I do my homework and I love football and could talk to you all day about it.

What is your favourite book? Mine.

Footballers always say that. Another one. I'm going to say John Hartson's book. The one he's just done.

You've got 50p to buy a chocolate bar. But which one? A Wispa.

Is Chinese global economic supremacy inevitable? Is the current boom sustainable long-term or do you foresee problems with such rapid industrial and manufacturing growth? What does that mean?

Do you believe war is wrong? Yes.

Do you know what the main cause of the first world war was? No.

The Boer war? No.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? No.

The English civil war? No.

How can you say war is wrong then? Because my brother is in the army and he's been in Afghanistan and he's seen what's happening out there. So I just think war is wrong.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial life? No.

Have you ever seen a ghost? No.

Have you ever felt a ghostly or supernatural presence in a room behind you and whirled around to face it but found there was nothing there? No.

Is there any morally robust justification for closing down vital community and educational resources for the poorest in our society, such as libraries and youth centres, because of a financial crisis engineered by those at the very top of the economic scale? [Pause] I haven't got a fucking clue mate.

Is it ever acceptable to wear turn-ups with formal wear? Never acceptable.

That's correct. Although turn-ups on lounge suits are tolerated. Should you always give your seat to a woman on public transport, any woman no matter how old or healthy? Or is that sexist and patronising? No, you should always give your seat to a woman.

Why are there so many fried chicken restaurants on our high streets? Because people like chicken.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? My mum.

And the most beautiful man? Me.

If you had to have a tattoo on your face, perhaps because you'd lost a bet to Vinnie Jones on a stag do, what would you have? I'd have [pauses to think] an eye.

Cheers Robbie, thanks. No problem Small Talk.