Gareth Bale

I probably prefer Spanish football to the others. It's very technical, the way they play; they keep the ball well, and whenever Spurs have played against Spanish teams in the past, they've always made it difficult for us.

Whenever I get days off, I go home, or friends and family come up. I'm in contact with them every day, so it's like we live next door, but obviously we live in two different countries. Football is my job, and everyone around me has given me the opportunity to purely concentrate on football, and everyone else worries about everything else.

I'm ambitious, I want to play in the Champions League, and that's the aim with Tottenham - to start qualifying for the Champions League on a consistent basis.

Between 12 and 14, I shot up a ridiculous amount. The muscles were struggling to stretch and grow at the rate my bones were growing. It gave me problems with my back and my hamstrings.

I was quite small; then I had a big growth spurt that led to a problem with my back, which stopped me playing for a while. My bones were growing too quick for my weight.

You've just got to keep working hard, keep plugging along. That's how great teams win more trophies.

I don't think I've changed since I was a little kid.

The one player I have looked up to since I was a kid is Ryan Giggs.

Everyone knows that I like to play centrally, where I can drift around. I like coming in off the right flank and having more freedom. I don't mind playing on the left, although I prefer playing centrally or on the right.

The most important thing is to not waste your money.

As a kid, you obviously dream of being a professional footballer. I would watch players like Ronaldo of Brazil and pretend to be him in the playground. But I don't think about trying to become one of the best in the world or anything like that. I just play football.

When I go on a pitch, I just try to enjoy it as much as I can. The more you enjoy it, the better you play.