That's why I kept going with my school - I wasn't talented. That's what's the difficulty - you want to define key talents when they are 12, 13 or 14? When I was that age I was nowhere near. People had given up on me.

I can't even count to five when I say my proper friends in football.

That's what I love, getting the tube, not getting any recognition, trying to be as normal as possible. Sometimes you get a big Arsenal fan and they tell you they have a season ticket or want to have a chat, which is fine. Some want a selfie, but sometimes I just want to say: 'Let's just shake hands. It means more than a picture.'

I don't see myself coaching because the intensity of that is massive, and the intensity as a manager, for example Arsene Wenger, is even more.

I was lucky to get a professional contract. I wasn't that sort of talent that is considered to be a professional player.

I've never had that dream in my head: 'I want to play Bundesliga or Premier League.' I was a fan, but it was never the dream that one day I was going to make it, because a lot of people had told me already that I wouldn't.

Living in London is very different to living in a little town in Germany.

In Germany I already know everything, I know every stadium.

I've played for 15 years and played in five major tournaments. I know what it gives me in terms of the joy, in terms of the love for the game. But I'm done with it.

For almost 15 years, professional football is about yourself: How can I improve? How can I make myself better? Before winning a game was the short-term reward that meant everything. Now, I can look at the bigger picture.

I had a totally different upbringing, totally different background, raised in Germany, small town, now I am in London taking care of 180 kids who think they are the one percent who can make it in professional football.

It's hard work to do important games for the club every three or four days, that is very physical.

The best players in the world play in the Premier League and therefore it is the best league.

I loved the Olympics.

I wasn't that good at football aged 14 or 15. I didn't take it too seriously.

My father said, 'You're not going to make it.' That took a lot of pressure from me. I took football like a hobby.

When people are acutely depressed, many of them seem to want to hide.

There's always that mental battle, who's going to have that confidence to be on the front foot.

Sometimes you need a humbling experience to think about a few things.

It is an important duty at Arsenal for the experienced players to show the younger ones that there is a chance to make it into the first team.

It is an important part of the role of a centre-back to focus on building up the game and initiating moves.

Things can change very fast in football.

Every footballer has his ups and downs.

You always have to remain professional. I have always done so.

I want to show on the training pitch that I am ready whenever the manager needs me.

For a national player it is a good thing to get experience playing abroad.

Moving abroad brings you on both as a player and a person.

The more people that write me off, the stronger I get.

I had a great time at SV Werder Bremen and I'm grateful to the club.

Moving to London enables me to fulfil a dream and a further step in my career. The Premier League has always represented a great challenge for me.

Goals often come from a mistake much further up the field, yet the analysis and blame will always be on the defence.

We cannot take responsibility for every goal we concede, we all need to do our part across the field to ensure we win as a team.

Arsene Wenger is a coach who has a very special personality. He has an experience that not many coaches have, and all at one club, at Arsenal.

Playing at the highest level really is something special for me.

There are not a lot of German players out there who are successful in a foreign country.

I was with Bremen in a good situation in the Bundesliga. I was the captain and was involved in everything to do with the club.

As long as you are winning it is a good day.

Sometimes as a player you have a different view and you can't believe what we did as a defensive unit.

When something is heartwarming and triumphant, and not corny or preachy, it's such a powerful thing.

I realise there are situations where I camp it up, make myself into a sort of novelty character to ease things along. Like, if I ever feel uncomfortable in a situation, I can just make myself into this funny Will-and-Grace-guest-star type of person, and maybe people will not pay attention to the deeper things going on.

I'm just doing what I want. I'm not thinking, like, 'Today I'm going to dress like a woman.' I'm not even thinking about that. I'm just thinking, 'I want to wear this today; I want to be this today.'

I think the best mood for writing is a heavy feeling that's a little bit removed from you. Sometimes I feel very self-indulgent and bratty and ungrateful, and no good music comes out of that. But sometimes I can be really sad or have an excess of feeling yet somehow be able to see the big picture more.

I'm really into gay stuff getting funded: having it be on TV and having a show.

If I drink coffee, I have to turn the lights off and lay down. I can't handle it.

When I watch alien movies, I want to be the alien. I don't want to be the people that make first contact or anything; I just want to be that creature.

My mom is not religious, but she's a very spiritual, magical kind of lady. One time, when I was younger, my mom said she was a witch and that my grandmother was also a witch. It was late at night, and she was really sleepy, but I took it very seriously because I always wanted to go to Hogwarts.

I like Yoda. I like the Ewoks.

I feel like I've figured out the way that I can talk about things that are important to me and have my music and the way of performance be healing and be helpful.

The thing is everything is good at the Cheesecake Factory. Everything's good. It's science-based. It's a formula; there's math. It's all good!

When I started to allow myself to not be locked into wearing men's clothes, things kind of opened up. It feels very kind to drape yourself in something that feels special.