As a professional footballer himself, did your dad have an influence on your career?
He had the influence that any father has – he showed me football and brought me into the football world. He gave me great advice and he coached me, but he never put pressure on me to become a footballer. He always said, “You need to finish school first, then we’ll see where it takes you”. Like any kid, I dreamed about one day representing my country and also playing abroad.
Why did your 1996 move to Middlesbrough from Fortuna Köln take so long to happen?
It was the summer when Jean-Marc Bosman won his case in court, so it changed football’s whole transfer system overnight. My contract
