Martin O'Neill: "It's the most phenomenal life you could get, particularly if you have a couple of years where you can be successful.
"I was lucky enough to be involved in a Nottingham Forest team which ruled Europe for a couple of years, so that was really fantastic.
"But any professional player has got to really enjoy it.
"You are being paid to keep yourself healthy and fit and if you don't have any major serious injuries, which are obviously more than a bit of a setback and terrible to endure, then it's a great career."