People have an opinion of me from what they read in the papers and the image painted by the media, and I probably haven't helped myself. But my mates and the people close to me know what I'm really like. I'm not trying to paint this picture of a do-goody who never does anything wrong; I've made mistakes and have done things I would change... The stuff in Ayia Napa, the drug test - I would like to change that, but these things happen for a reason to help you learn and appreciate where you are in life. One of the hardest things for me about becoming a footballer was accepting that I had to be responsible for my actions, that I have a responsibility to people and to young kids. That's hard to grasp when you're just a kid yourself. For
Michael Owen it was easy, his life was... I wouldn't say simple, but he was quite a mature 18-year-old and he dealt with the bright lights admirably. I was an outgoing kind of child, willing to see things for myself and to get burnt. And I have been burnt, but there's a lot that I wouldn't change as well because, like I've said, I have seen a lot with my own eyes and learned.
