The biggest surprise has been making the adjustment after losing a game. In the NBA you could lose tonight and you have to put that game behind you because you have another game the next night.
You're frustrated when things aren't going right. When you're out there, you have your piece of it, your view. It isn't until usually the next day when you're watching the film that you get to put all the pieces together: 'Oh, this is what happened on that play'; 'This is why I did that.' You don't totally know that game day.
There is a hangover from a defeat like Denmark - ask any player about when they've had a bad game, it's still in there somewhere in the back of your mind.
People talk about the hair dryer and all this with Sir Alex Ferguson. What was really great about him, whatever happened in a game, he would spend whatever minutes it took him to get this out of this system and say whatever needed to be said. Once he said, 'Get your bath,' that was it. We knew that it would never return.
When I look back, I didn't enjoy any of the big games. I didn't enjoy any of the finals. You enjoy lifting the trophy and the celebrations. But it was always the next game.
Man, it literally starts from after the game. I get every at-bat sent to me from the game. I'll go home, I'll watch every at-bat, kind of break down the game, kind of see, OK, what did I do? Why'd I miss this pitch? Why'd I hit that pitch?
Sometimes you have a good game and mentally you are very tired.
If you come away with a 1-1 result, that's obviously a disappointing feeling. You start to look at what you could have done better.
You go through mental preparation the night before the game and prepare for moments of trauma in a game when it happens.
When I come away from the ground, I'm quite quiet, but I like match day - that's when I come alive.
If you talk to most athletes, the place you're most comfortable is your playing field. I'm not so comfortable at a podium or talking about events.
We don't pray to win. We pray to play the best we can, and to keep us free from injury. And the prayer we say after the game is one of thanksgiving.
