There are so many emotions – exhaustion, relief. It’s probably not going to sink in for a couple of weeks.

I’ve had a bit of a head-spinning couple of days,

He’s fantastic on the ground but he’s obviously really tall

I don’t have any. I was sent to bed before the matches started

We didn’t fire in our first game out against South Africa last autumn, and it was the same story against England in the first game of the 2005 Six Nations,

What would happen to me if I stayed at Madrid? How much would I miss European football if I signed for Newcastle?

I spoke to Liverpool and unfortunately that deal could not come off,

We’ve got a good team and a good squad and although you always need luck, we feel we’ve got a really good chance.

You dream of a dream start, scoring on your debut, winning the game, but you’ve got to be realistic in football. But there will be plenty of good times to come.

Wayne’s great at coming short and receiving the ball because he’s got the strength to hold it up.

It’s a shame that when I’m back he’s done his knee, but us not playing together for 50 games is not going to take the edge off what has been a fantastic career for him.

The specialists have said that everything is healing fine but to speed the process they need to tighten the screw they inserted at the time of may operation in January.

I had a scan today and everything showed up clear, which I expected it to,

Alan was a great help throughout and instrumental in my decision,

I don’t like the big fuss. I was hoping the deadline would be further forward so we could end this uncertainty. Now we are looking forward and I can be on the back pages for...

People will just fall in love with it

dovetail with each other really well.

There’s not a whole lot of difference to what we normally play,

Every one of his strengths is totally opposite to my strengths, … My game is not Wayne Rooney’s. My strengths aren’t coming off people and linking play up. My strength is seeing opportunities, knowing where...

We will go out and try and put out on a good performance against Poland,

One of my personal highlights, … It was soon after the World Cup and I felt all eyes were on me. When we walked off the pitch that day the Newcastle fans applauded us off....

The players are stunned because this is the worst thing that can happen to a footballer in his career. There will be scars for life.

I don’t think there is any surprise that Michael got a couple today. Michael is a proven goal scorer. He got a couple of goals to get us on our way.

There are two mouths to feed.

I’m still feeling it a little but it’s going better by the day and as soon as I can train I will. If I can train fully by Thursday I’ll be available. The doctors are...

He even offered to give up his number nine shirt but I have declined. Number 10 will do for me.

It was a disappointing result but at least I’m playing, fit and looking forward to Saturday’s game (for Newcastle against Fulham in the Premier League),

When you put better teams in front of you, that’s when the big players rise to that occasion.

Fortunately I am a mentally strong person and believe I will learn from the experience and continue to improve as a player and person because of it

If you are going to come back at any place it’s St James’ with the crowd behind you.

We might find out tomorrow in training,

All the Newcastle fans need to know is that I will be giving everything for their cause now,

It’s a far cry from the last World Cup, where we had a lot of injuries. We’ve got a clean bill of health, with the exception of John and the preparations have gone really well.

I hope there’s more important wins to come, but Alan’s goal was the most important. I have no doubt in my mind that I will score goals, the relief for me is getting our first...

If the transfer cannot be finalized in time I have agreed to go to Newcastle United, but only on a one-year loan. I need to be playing regularly in a World Cup year.

I have been given the name of a good surgeon and I am going to have a pin inserted.

There are still 11 weeks until the World Cup starts. I should be back in four.

If there is money coming in, maybe the club look like they mean business and are going places,

I’ve been honest all along,

The aim is certainly to get as far as the semi-finals – but it would not stop there.

I think he must have known that my Dad was briefly an Everton player and I used to follow them as a boy.

Thank God it wasn’t a qualifying game.

It’s a matter of time, we have really good players, the coaches are working hard and we’ll get there in the end.

I will try to read a couple of papers!

We played well for the first half an hour but then seemed to get worse and worse. But we take collective responsibility for the performance and now we have to show collective togetherness, stick tight...

The manager (Sven-Goran Eriksson) was talking today that 10 of France’s players, present or past, were teammates of our own players,

There is a great tradition up here about the No 9 at Newcastle and I will do my best, that is all I can say, to try to provide goals and medals and everything else...

I am sure some people will say John or Steve are more obvious skippers but I like to think that I have people’s respect.

I am feeling quite sharp and am playing well and Newcastle are not overburdened with Europe, … I can recover between games, prepare, keep myself in good shape and play on a regular basis for...

I will have the stitches out on Thursday. I had a little setback but it was not back to square one. It is clearly healing nicely and I am hoping I can play again for...