Thinking back to how it fell apart for Mourinho at Chelsea, I do have some sympathy for him. At most clubs it is the manager who determines the long-term stability of the players but at Chelsea it seems very much the other way round.

Football is full of different characters but there are perhaps none who have a split personality quite like Jose Mourinho, as I can testify from personal experience.

As a forward it is always a bit easier to avoid the kind of challenges that can cause impact injuries.

When I considered PSG before I signed for Juventus one thing that put me off was wondering what the point is of coming second every year.

Champions league progression takes years.

Italian sides will find it hard to attract the world's top players while there is a salary cap.

I've learned things in Italy at the age of 31. Some of the passing drills are so complicated you need a high level of concentration and if you mess up the rhythm, believe me you are told!

There is still this perception in football about whether people are 'English through and through.' Essentially there is not any such thing without going into a whole discussion on genetics and bloodlines of each player.

It can be difficult for players who are perceived to have turned their backs on England, as Wilfried Zaha has found out after deciding to play for Ivory Coast.

I struggle to understand why many in football get so upset about dual nationality.

I've experienced it with Chelsea Women: it can be very hard at the top for long periods of time, fighting just to stay in the same position and to preserve an unbeaten run that will always come to an end.

The fear for English players has always been that you might risk a place in the national team if you go abroad but now with all the technology we have, and social media, you are able to watch goals and assists every week, which means his performances are just as noticeable as anyone's in the Premier League.

There are many clever contractual ways to let a young player continue his career elsewhere while still having first option to bring them back in future. Contracts can include a buyback clause such as Barcelona had with Cesc Fabregas, or a sell-on clause where the development club benefit financially from all the work invested in the young player.

Sometimes clubs take their ownership of a young player for granted and do not necessarily do the best thing for their development.

Many managers bring players they have previously worked with into a new club - but that doesn't always mean they will continue to enjoy success together.

Players are under enough pressure to perform from fans and the media without a manager complicating matters further in public.

I think public criticism of players can go one of two ways: either the players will want to raise a proverbial middle finger at their manager and prove them wrong, or the squad will go within themselves and performances will deteriorate.

Perhaps I am influenced by philosophies like the one at Chelsea which was 'If it isn't broken, change it' which saw us win three league titles in five years playing three different formations and tactical strategies so that the opposition could never keep up with our evolution at the time.

After you're dating someone for a few weeks, you often don't become exclusive until you give yourself more time to know what a relationship could be like in the future. You can't get too excited too quickly.

You cannot underestimate Zidane's achievement of winning the Champions League three times in a row - it must have taken superb skills to motivate the likes of Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema et al to have the desire to become serial Champions League winners.

Maurizio Sarri is one of those managers who can get the best out of players who aren't necessarily world class which he proved at Napoli.

It is not always about signing star forwards and midfielders.

On the pitch if I could summarise 2018 in one word it would be progress.

Most clubs say they will not tolerate any forms of discrimination - that cannot be something that is just said. It needs to be acted on.