Leaving Liverpool was the toughest decision I had to make in football because I was in an exemplary club, a proper football club, with a lovely and sharing stadium that meant a lot of things to me. The fans are the best in the world, no doubt about that, and I was comfortable there.

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I've still got Paul Scholes' shirt at home which I swapped with him once. When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most. Maybe he's not valued as much as he should be in England because of the style of football there and because he keeps a low profile. Perhaps he would have been more valued in Spain, where midfielders like him form part of the 'ideal.' Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount.

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I had five great years at Liverpool and I would rather just keep that memory as it is.

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I left Real Madrid for the same reason Di Maria did. We work hard but only others get the praise.

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Passion isn't something you work on. It's more important to construct a good team, to know how you are going to play, how to read the match. You have to truly understand the game.

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I accept I am going to miss playing because it's such an important part in my life. It's going to be difficult to fill that gap. Life goes on.

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If you have control of the midfield, you have control of the game, and you have more chances to win.

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We will have to go to win. There's no other option. We have one more match.

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I have been progressing throughout my career, which is a very good sign.

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I tried to do everything just as I would before any other match, but it was impossible.

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