Jermaine Pennant

John Cross, who I know very well here.

Yeah, he's a good man.

We spent about two and a half years, started writing when I was in Singapore.

We'd have a conversation once a week for about three hours on the phone.

Didn't help my phone bill, but yeah.

Yeah.

For some reason, I've got a good memory of my upbringing, you know, the mistakes I've made, what I've been through in my career.

So it's like, you know, it was all yesterday.

So when I was having the conversation, it slipped off the tongue.

Yeah, definitely.

It's all about the discipline in this game, which, like I said, dysfunctional.

I didn't have that discipline, hence why I made a lot of mistakes.

People say I underachieve, but I would say I overachieve from where I came from, from all the mistakes I've made, being in prison, to then go and play a Champions League final.

I've lived...

Yeah, you know, it's difficult because kids wanted to be a part of a, you know, when they're in a gang, it's like they wanted to be a part of something.

You know, they speak different.

It's all, you know, my dad was a part of the Waterfront gang and it was like a big family.

So...

To me, that was just normal, but on the outside, it's not normal.

Obviously, Dad dealing drugs and seeing what I was seeing, it does have an effect on you growing up in your adult life, consciously.