You set out to be a footballer, when you're young, and you think I'd love to do that. There's plenty of things along the way that could change that, and it's the same thing now with being a manager, it's time will tell how it goes.
Michael Carrick
If you look at anyone's career, there are times when you have hard times. Even the best players have to struggle through things.
I do try to stay involved in training and keep that routine as much as I can. I just feel I need to do it for myself, not because the manager demands it, but because you get to a stage where you have to manage yourself - what suits you; what doesn't.
When I left West Ham in 2004 there was a chance of them signing me instead of Spurs, but it isn't something I think about too often. I've been spoilt during my career.
I do not take winning things for granted.
My favourite game has to be winning the Champions League against Chelsea in 2008, because nothing can top that. My favourite goal was at Wigan in 2009, which came late in the game and pretty much clinched the title for us that year.
I loved passing, just feeling the ball against my foot. I think any individual, if you enjoy certain things, you tend to practice it more. That was kind of me.
I was never comfortable at United, really.
As a coach or manager, if it was something that had to be done I'd be comfortable doing it but I'd still be true to myself. I wouldn't turn into a madman or start throwing teacups and screaming.
A decent player doesn't automatically make a decent manager, I know that. But I will do everything I possibly can.
I think bravery is to get on the ball and be bold enough and confident enough to try things when everyone is looking at you and the pressure is on and people are expecting you to win.
I think as an older player, there's a kind of natural responsibility or natural role to go around the lads and say a few things. I had it when I came into the team; when you look to the older boys in certain situations to see what they say, see how they act, and see what they expect.
But that's something I enjoyed. That's the game, the challenge, trying to think 'what am I am aiming to do here? Where do I want to pass the ball? What area do I want to get it in?' Then it's instinct... but that's just me, that's how I was made, that's my make-up.
Over the season you have waves. It is very hard to go through the whole season at the same standard and winning games in the same way.
It wasn't until I started my coaching badges that I found that I enjoyed it.
The Champions League and the Premier League are now both huge, but the tradition and history of the FA Cup is still very special.
Some lads were dribblers, some lads just loved scoring goals, whereas I enjoyed and took pride in practicing my passing and that. That's how it was.
When I was setting out as a kid, five, six, seven years old, England was a dream. One of my best days as a player was my England debut - but it didn't quite happen after that!
But I still think it's part of the skill of being a coach or manager - to know who responds to what. And some players do respond to a rollicking. If it needs to be done, you have to do it. As a player, that wasn't necessarily me.
In a way, I feel there's a Carrick style of playing.
You look at players who are off form and there's a general disappointment, their confidence goes low and their whole demeanour can change. I've seen it hundreds of times but it's difficult to know what's really going on inside someone's mind.
I'm not really one who goes telling people things. I'm quite a reserved character and I keep a lot of things to myself. That's my home life as well. I just try to deal with things and, rightly or wrongly, get on with it.
I was safe, due to my parents, but the Boys' Club was a massive influence.
Certainly every manager I've played under you take things from them. That's just part of gaining all that knowledge over the years. Some good, some not so good, but it's all part of the process.
I think with England, I look at myself and accept that I didn't do well enough; then, other times, I was playing my best football for United and England didn't happen.
It's always been the ones that got away that stick in your memory. You use them for motivation. The ones you win are brilliant and you enjoy them, and then you move on.
My worst moment in football was losing that Champions League final to Barca in Rome.
The 2006 World Cup was the summer I came to United so the England thing was kind of ongoing. Getting to the World Cup was massive but it wasn't until I got to United that I had that feeling that winning was a possibility.
The biggest players I've seen are the ones that take the wins well - don't get carried away with them - but the defeats really hurt.
When I came in at United, I'd seen what the manager set, how the players lived their lives, how they trained, how they lived with the expectation and all sorts, playing three games a week at that level. And that is when I thought 'woah - this is different, this is something else.'
If you like being patted on the back for the good times you have to be prepared to take the bad times.
I've had a decent career, I've been a decent player but coaching is a whole different ball game. I can take the experience that I've got but there's so much more to it than that and I'd never take it for granted and just say I can jump into a new role and it will be easy and a breeze because I know it won't be like that.
Any experience you go through, you take something away from it, and I've always taken more from the harder times.
It is something I would like to do, to be a manager, but that's not assuming I will be. It's something that I can strive towards and see where it takes us.
I actually had the chance to sign for Newcastle before I went to West Ham; I didn't in the end because they had got rid of their reserve team. There were a few clubs interested but I liked what West Ham had to offer and never regretted signing for them, I loved it straight away.
It is tough when you don't play for a while and a couple of games go by when, you've worked hard to be ready, but then aren't involved.
When you get older, you want to be playing. I'm not one who would want to be sitting around as part of the squad, making up the numbers. I am conscious that I want to be playing and making a contribution to the team.
Outside you get credit and praise and it makes you feel good, puts a spring in your step, but really the ceiling was the manager. If I was playing at Old Trafford and felt as though I was contributing and winning things, that was enough for me.
Growing up as a kid, I played for Wallsend Boys Club, a famous boys club. I had such a good childhood and upbringing there.
I'm doing things in Manchester with the Trafford Sports Park in partnership with the Manchester United foundation and I'm also doing things in Newcastle as well. It's something I'm passionate about.
I was relegated with West Ham and you never forget that. Going down, playing in the Championship, I constantly remind myself of that. I still remember the feeling, without doubt, I wouldn't allow myself to forget it.
The expectation at United is to win every game and you have to be at your very best in training, never mind in the games.
