VINCENT KOMPANY

What we experience in the Premier League is so intense.

I don't think that people understand enough about each other's cultures any more.

I'd rather give up most of my wealth to have the guarantee that I can carry on working for the rest of my life.

Someone might come close to dying, and they'll enjoy life much more than everyone else. I came close to the death of my sports career, and I enjoy everything coming my way.

When I was a kid in my neighborhood, there was nobody that supported Belgium. It was impossible and unthinkable because there was nothing they could relate to.

I want my kids to go and see the world and understand they are privileged, but it doesn't mean they don't have the right to speak up and see what is happening.

Knife crime isn't an issue that's going to go away just because of repression and police action. Of course we need to support the forces, but it's linked to prevention, and prevention often comes through education.

Racism is felt the most definitely in grassroots football.

I have dreamed of Brazil all my life. As a child, I had videos of Brazil, of their World Cup wins, of Pele, and of all the big players.

Whichever work you do, people go through life having several priorities. I know my football is what got me here. The work I do for SOS or my charity work in general has always been a priority for me, and then my family is a priority as well, so you set yourself different things, and they just balance each other out.

Once I finish playing, I'm still a Manchester City player for the rest of my life. That won't change.

Maybe from the outside, Belgium looks complicated to understand, but from the inside, actually, every country is complicated.

I find football much more powerful than what grown-ups want it to be. It's a community to me; it's something very meaningful in the life of many, many people and especially the youth. And, therefore, I think it can bring social cohesion.

The goal, being bold about it, is to stop homelessness in Manchester. I've been in this community for 11 years now - my wife Carla is from Manchester, the kids are Mancs, born and bred - so homelessness is not an issue we can shy away from.

My mum was always more pushing me towards the academic side; she wasn't really interested in me having a professional football career.

I have been part of very successful City teams, but it was never at the end of a dominant season that we were able to win a title.

I was desperate to leave Hamburg. The club was awesome, don't get me wrong, but I had a personal issue with one of the board members. He was desperate to get me out. The first club came calling, and it was Man City.

I've worked extremely hard. There's always that part that people don't see, the things you do behind the scenes.

Everybody is different. Some players need a lot of rest and just be at home.

I am 100% Congolese and 100% Belgian. I am very proud of it.

When I read or study, I don't do it for the degree - if I fail, it doesn't matter, but it just takes me out of this world where you're the centre of attention all the time. You just become a normal bloke when you're setting yourself those kinds of targets.

I just enjoy training. I enjoy being there, enjoy coming into games and training sessions where I can feel that I'm as good or better than the players I have to play against or with.

I'm not worried about getting extra game time, extra minutes, and all this kind of stuff that so many other players will worry about.

One thing I am sure about Manchester is that people are proud of their history. They are proud of their football, music, the industrial revolution, and all the amazing things that were invented here.

We can't always wait on the government to sort out all issues. I think they set policies, they set the rules, but we all have a duty to help as much as we can.