My entire family came out to stay at my home over the summer. Hectic doesn’t describe it. It was my two kids Luca and Eva, Mum and Dad, my two brothers, their wives, and my two nephews and a niece. It was great to have them over.

They stayed for three-and-a-half weeks and every night the kids wanted to go tubing. I would steer my boat onto the lake behind my house and pull them behind on an inflatable donut. Each evening without fail they asked: ‘Can we go out dad?’ It made a change from saying to them: ‘Go kick a ball outside against the wall!’

There is a swimming area too where you can drop anchor and have a chill. The kids would jump in the water.

Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell has been enjoying spending time with his family this summer

Other times we would sit in the sun on the decking behind my house and have a barbeque. My old man likes to soak the chicken in a nice marinade. No deer, although my brother Clark saw one while walking his daughter Autumn alongside the road outside. That is normal for round here as they come so close at times.

Round the back of my place ducks would flap up onto the deck and my mum and kids fed them. They still come up every day now waiting for food but I refuse! They’re wondering what’s happened.

We also stayed two nights at a place called Great Wolf Lodge. It is like a water park but indoors so if the weather isn’t great you can still go. My kids loved it, always running off to go on rides. They wait all this time to see me and then shoot away at the first sight of fun! It is a bit like Disney World with various characters for little ones to play with.

It has been a long time since the whole family has been on holiday together. Even if it is just for the one occasion, it was really enjoyable to host everyone.

The former Premier League defender attends an event and meets Portland supporters

INTRODUCING... We’ve just got Diego Valeri back, our No 10. He has been out with a cruciate ligament injury for a long time but is into the thick of things now. He is our playmaker, the main man going forward, and gives us more guile. He is a nice fella, Argentinian. Diego Valeri (right) has returned to action following a cruciate ligament injury Advertisement

On the pitch things have been going well too. We’ve clocked up 11 clean sheets now, the most in the league. It has been great for the whole defensive unit and gives the attackers a chance to win us the game.

The Timbers went against the grain by bringing me in as a defensive Designated Player. Everyone expects a No 10 or a forward. But the gaffer wanted me to shore up defence. Hopefully it can keep paying off.

We’re in the play-off spots at the moment, an improvement on last year when we were outside trying to get in. Now we just have to stop teams gaining on us and we should make it. We want to get as high as we can.

Next up we have our rivals Seattle Sounders. These matches are intense derbies. This season has shown that. Back in June we played them in the US Open Cup and they ended the match with seven players thanks to three red cards and an injury. Clint Dempsey was sent off for ripping up the referee’s notebook.

I have seen crazier though. That was up at Newcastle when Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer had the fight on the pitch and both got red cards. We won the Seattle game 3-1 and then also beat them 4-1 at our ground in the league.

It is at their stadium this time, on Sunday, and they need the points. It should be packed out with 70,000 fans – more than any in the Premier League this weekend – and being against us the atmosphere will be electric. It is on Sky Sports 5 at 10pm British time so gives people in England a real taste of MLS.

The 31-year-old joins Portland Timbers in 2014 and is one of the MLS side's Designated Player

MEMORABLE AWAY DAY Dallas was ridiculous humidity. It was bad, you warm up and your whole kit is dripping with sweat. It was definitely the hottest I have experienced. I heard about the Premier League water breaks but we wouldn’t have one unless it hits 100 degrees fahrenheit! You try to conserve your energy and take liquid when the ball goes out of play. Advertisement

On American TV there is definitely more coverage of the English guys, now Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have joined. They have made a lot of people talk about the league. I haven’t played them yet but have the LA Galaxy on October 18 so should see Gerrard then.

I have had plenty of texts from players across the Atlantic, asking me to put in a good word for them and asking me what the clubs are like. A few are current Premier League players saying they are considering the move in future.

I will be trying to tune in to the action in Birmingham on Tuesday September 22, when two of my old teams go at it in the League Cup. Aston Villa playing Birmingham is really special, a game I always enjoyed playing.

Ridgewell is preparing to take on local rivals Seattle Sounders on Sunday night

I was in the Blues defence the last time the teams faced each other in the League Cup. We won 2-1 at St Andrew’s. That was an incredible night that sticks in my mind. Fans invaded the pitch in celebration. It got a bit feisty. But it is people’s emotions spilling over. The rivalry is huge.

I will also be keeping tabs on transfer deadline day. We don’t have that in the MLS. It can be a big day for players, as I know from experience.

When I was at Birmingham the year we went down there was a final-day bid for me from Newcastle. In the last hour I had to get to a hotel as quickly as possible in Barnt Green - where I lived at the time - so I was ready by a fax machine should I need to sign any potential paperwork.