When you win or lose, no-one dies: you win, or you lose.

You will get criticism throughout your career. All the best players have had it at some stage, and they haven't let it ruin their careers. I won't, either.

It's not about individuals; it's all about team work.

I'm a big believer in having to go through hard times to get to where you want to be. Nothing comes easy. You have to work.

It's in the DNA of Liverpool Football Club to win trophies.

Criticism's healthy. It gives you that extra little bit inside you to prove people wrong, to use it as energy, to use it as fuel.

Sometimes I can be a little bit cautious in keeping the ball, playing a safe pass rather than an adventurous one.

It's about being focused on what you want to achieve. That's all I do.

I love to get to Dubai. It's an impressive place, and you can do lots of different things there - beach, shopping, and other fun things.

Ryan Giggs and David Beckham were the two players I've always looked up to.

When you play for Liverpool and England, you have good players around you, and you want to compete with the best.

If you're exercising hard and training hard every day, you've got to have carbs; you can't just cut them out. That's how you get your energy levels up.

I'm definitely not a karaoke man, but I like to try stuff, so I'd get up on stage and give it a go. It would have to be something cheesy - karaoke always is - so maybe R. Kelly, 'The World's Greatest.'

For breakfast, I'll have scrambled eggs or poached egg on toast... and - this is gonna sound weird - I have it with blueberries as well. Everyone says it's weird, but try it - you'll like it.

At Liverpool, Jurgen pretty much does everything, and we just follow him. Of course, we've still got leaders within the group to implement his message, but more often than not, we listen and then just do what he says.

Whether I'm captain or not, I always like to think that I lead by example anyway. I do the same things as I always do and try to help the group out.

A day or two before games, it's all carb overload: pasta, rice, potatoes, stuff like that. And, straight after the game, it's important to get as much carbohydrate on as possible. Refuel your body and get as much back in as you can. As it tails off a day or two later you, ease off on the carbs and go to more protein, vegetables, and salads.

It's about doing what the team needs me to do, not what I want to do or what I think I can do.

When I was very young, coming into the Sunderland side, if we got beaten, I'd be very down. I'd go home, and it would drag on for days, I'd be thinking about the game. I was from Sunderland, felt things like a fan, and got really down.

I came to Liverpool wanting to stay here for the rest of my career. I certainly didn't want to leave after a year.

I was still with Sunderland at the time of my first cap in 2010, and I remember getting the text to let me know that I was going to be called up to the squad - it was a Friday night, and I was in a hotel in London because we were playing Chelsea the next day.

It is hard to leave your local club. All my family are Sunderland fans, and it is pretty tough because I have had some great years there, but I am looking forward to playing for Liverpool now.

Now and again, you may be picking a pass or two in behind, making something happen, but when we're attacking - especially at Liverpool - I'm focusing on protection, being disciplined, being careful, worrying about counter-attacks, things like that.

I've always been athletic - did the 100 metres and 1500 m at school, cross-country races - and did well in them.

I don't think I'll ever be another Steven Gerrard, to be honest!

Obviously, it was an amazing feeling to play for Liverpool for the first time. It was a little bit funny to be playing against Sunderland, but it is still an amazing feeling every time I put on the Liverpool shirt.

Age is not really the biggest factor, whichever end of the scale you are at. It's how you perform, how you respond to the challenge of having good players around you competing for your place.

You will always be judged as a Liverpool player but, as a captain, you will be judged on what you win, basically. If you're doing well, and the team is winning everything, you become a very good captain.

Coventry was a big part of my career, and I had a great time there.

My favourite meal is probably chicken with penne pasta and pesto.

Whether you win or lose, you need to stay on a level platform.

I get in the gym and put the work in with the fitness coaches so I can be the best shape I can be in.

United are capable of setting up a low block and making it difficult, but they're also capable of coming out and pressing high.

Overall strength work - if you can do it regularly - makes a massive difference on the pitch, especially when you are fatigued. If you are stronger, it helps you deal with that.

Everything on the pitch is to help the team.

It is nice to be playing, being on the pitch, and contributing to the team.

I don't like reading good things about myself. With the criticism and the negative things, I always think that makes me better.

I don't like talking about myself. I find it a lot easier talking about other people.

I'm not particularly into people giving me credit. It's not something I think about. It's not important to me. The only thing that's important is if I'm doing my job properly on the pitch for the team and for the manager.

As a player, you want to win every game. That's what footballers do: they want to play, and they want to win.

Some people might say I'm old at 28, but I look at someone like James Milner. He's 32 and playing like he is 25 or something.

When you come to a club like Liverpool, you need to perform straight away and consistently.

It was Osgood-Schlatters. It wasn't good. It's a growing pains thing, and I had to have a lot of treatment on it. I just shot up immediately and didn't have any kind of physique to deal with it physically. I was tall, all arms and legs, and a bit gangly.

As players, you've got to keep improving, keep learning, keep playing well to get your place in the team.

I don't like to look too far back into the past.

I've always played with a high intensity anyway. That's how I've always been.

There are always those moments in football - and life in general - which can decide the path and the route you go down.

For me, Raheem Sterling is a fantastic player, and he's been brilliant for England. I hope he will stay at Liverpool.

I'm probably my biggest critic.

It's quite hard at times to take my mind off football, but it's very important. I'll watch something on television, anything, whatever the missus wants to watch.