Everyone knows my story and lots of people have been disappointed in my deterioration as a man. But they can see I'm trying to get better.

It got to a point where I didn't care if I lived or I died.

It's an individual sport so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own.

If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place.

The high of victory in the ring was bigger than the biggest party. You'd get in the ring and hear thousands of fans chanting your name and I'd be giving it all back for them.

No. 1 career highlight? It would have to be getting the MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Depression is a very serious thing. People don't realise how deadly it can be.

If I'm going to end my career, I want to end my career at the top.

First time I had my defeat, it was very hard to come to terms with.

I'd go into the pub and start crying even before I'd had my first drink.

The thing is with boxers we don't come from Cambridge and places like that, we come from council estates. So in boxing it's very, very hard.

You can't kid the public. When they see me they see I'm just a kid off a council estate - no more, no less.

I'm known for my strength and it helped that from a young age I was carrying around crates of beer or carpets and heavy rolls of underlay.

I feel happier about things, I don't blame myself over the losses.

I can remember how I felt the first time I was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. My first fight afterwards was against Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium. Every time I got punched I felt like I would wobble.

Once I got beat by Mayweather I felt so ashamed. I cancelled all my functions, all my appearances, I didn't want to walk down the street. I was too embarrassed to even go and have a pint with my mates.

People say, 'We remember the good times.' Well I remember the bad times.

I went to the darts, went to the football, had a little pint, no airs and graces. I think that's why I had the fan base I had.

People say maybe I could have got better performances out of myself or I could have a got few more fights out of myself if I looked after my body a little bit more but at the end of the day it was because I was jack the lad.

I feel I let everyone British sport, British boxing, my community, my home town of Manchester, my family my kids, I feel I've let everyone down with the troubles I've been in.

It's a hard game, boxing. You're up every morning running every day, you train in the afternoon, you're dieting, you're up and down in weight and it can wear you down.

People say nice things about me but they don't know what's been going on between my ears.

People with success are less able to cope because you're used to being on Mount Everest and when it's gone, what do you do?

Pacquiao has been stopped a 'couple of times by body shots and has been knocked out and I don't think there's anything you can do to improve your ribs or chin.