Vincent Kompany
Many players win the league for the first time, and they come back, and it's something you have to feel, to see in their eyes if things have changed or not.
One thing I am sure about Manchester is that people are proud of their history. They are proud of their football, music, the industrial revolution, and all the amazing things that were invented here.
I have been part of very successful City teams, but it was never at the end of a dominant season that we were able to win a title.
I don't want to change how I am, how I play, so if it means taking more risks, it's always going to be the case, and that's fine for me.
Racism is felt the most definitely in grassroots football.
When I was a kid, it was very common to go places and get racially abused, starting from age six all the way up until you got into the first team.
I've received much from Manchester - a great career at the highest level, unconditional support from the fans through thick and thin, a lovely family, and so much more to be grateful for.
My mum was always more pushing me towards the academic side; she wasn't really interested in me having a professional football career.
I was extremely competitive, so for me becoming a footballer was not necessarily because it was about being the best - it was about winning.
I never thought I could enjoy all this wealth without putting it to good use.
Within my first year of moving abroad living on my own, my sister got ill - she got cancer - and at the same time, my mum got cancer, and she passed away. I think at that time it was a hard challenge for me to deal with it, but in a way, I have always taken strength out of anything that has come at me.
I'm not worried about getting extra game time, extra minutes, and all this kind of stuff that so many other players will worry about.
Youth is always the future of any country.
Whichever work you do, people go through life having several priorities. I know my football is what got me here. The work I do for SOS or my charity work in general has always been a priority for me, and then my family is a priority as well, so you set yourself different things, and they just balance each other out.
When I read or study, I don't do it for the degree - if I fail, it doesn't matter, but it just takes me out of this world where you're the centre of attention all the time. You just become a normal bloke when you're setting yourself those kinds of targets.
I think, mainly, you always look to keep your strong points in the team.
You can't win every game playing fantasy football.
You can't compare Barcelona and Bayern Munich to Manchester City.
Guardiola has come to City with a very unique style. And he wants to continue that philosophy. We had to work to adapt to his style.
My motivation has always been high. I've never doubted myself.
As long as I feel that inner strength, I'll be all right.
I have dreamed of Brazil all my life. As a child, I had videos of Brazil, of their World Cup wins, of Pele, and of all the big players.
I will say it loud and clear: at Manchester City, it is all about what you choose to look at. If you look at the money spent on players, you will only ever see that side of City. If you look at the bigger plan, which is investment in the community, facilities, and youth teams, you realise there is heart and soul in this club.
Belgium's 1986 team is like the Christmas movie that they bring out every single year. That World Cup is something we get to see and hear about all the time. It is part of our general education in Belgium.
What we experience in the Premier League is so intense.
Being a successful team is maybe not enough. It's about setting a standard, not just for ourselves but also for the youth that is coming through at Manchester City.
Ultimately if you can win playing a certain way, then why not do it?
The main thing for me is to consider sport at an equal level as you would consider mathematics or poetry at school. It's another place where you can send your kids; they can have fun, but you can expect them to have good teachers, and you can expect them to progress.
Brussels is sort of a mini London in the sense that if you think about putting a football pitch in London, people laugh at you. There is just no space.
I kind of almost get enjoyment out of adversity in life.
I'm kind of the wrong guy to bet against.
It's great to know that you can rely on anyone.
Sometimes it goes your way, and sometimes it doesn't. It's part of what football is about.
Knife crime isn't an issue that's going to go away just because of repression and police action. Of course we need to support the forces, but it's linked to prevention, and prevention often comes through education.
The goal, being bold about it, is to stop homelessness in Manchester. I've been in this community for 11 years now - my wife Carla is from Manchester, the kids are Mancs, born and bred - so homelessness is not an issue we can shy away from.
Over the past decade, I've been lucky to have witnessed and played a part in Manchester City's rise as a club and a brand.
I just enjoy training. I enjoy being there, enjoy coming into games and training sessions where I can feel that I'm as good or better than the players I have to play against or with.
When you come so many times to the end of your career, you understand that you have to appreciate every moment. It's the story of life.
If a team prepares well, a good team becomes even better.
A win is a win, whether you do it the difficult way or the easy way.
I don't think that people understand enough about each other's cultures any more.
There is one thing that is stronger than everything, and it is the colour of the shirt that you wear, and that is who you'll back.
I've worked extremely hard. There's always that part that people don't see, the things you do behind the scenes.
Sir Alex, one of the best managers of all time. After 26 years of success in the game, we all owe him a tribute.Collection: Years
Next year we have to be even better. If we want to be a big club this has to be one of many.Collection: Football