John Barnes

I'm saying, why do I have to do this?

Not preparing to be a professional footballer.

But he says, if you're going to do anything, you do it with authenticity.

So by the time I went to Watford, because I was so disciplined.

Graham Taylor was really tough.

It's really hard.

And I wasn't being disciplined to be a professional footballer, going back to Jamaica.

But my dad said, this is what you've got to do, just in life.

So when I went to Watford as a 17-year-old, you had players who were apprentices who'd bring up through the system, and I wasn't.

I was able to be good at the running and everything, and the fitness.

We used to do gym work and stuff.

So I think that, forget about how good you are.

Your talent, yes, we've all got talent, but it's about your attitude and your commitment.

And that's what my dad stressed for me, always.

So I didn't find it hard, all of a sudden, 17, being in a professional environment.

And, you know, because I'm new to it, I've been through an apprentice system, how do I... Did that help you, though, John, that you didn't go through that system?

I don't know.

You're a bit more free when you play?

Well, no, it wasn't really, because why I say discipline is more important, because when I went to Watford, which is a very disciplined club, the way we played at Watford was it's very structured.

Very, very structured.