Once I started playing as a striker, I'd say I looked up to Julie Fleeting and Thierry Henry.
I'd have to say Steven Gerrard has been the biggest influence in my career so far. I watched him when I was younger and then to go and play and train with him every day is massive for me, and still is now.
I don't know what I'd have become if I hadn't been a footballer; I wrote down 'dustbin man' on a careers questionnaire at school till my dad made me change it to 'joiner'.
Scholes is very influential for England at international level.
Rivaldo was fundamental for me accepting the challenge in Bunyodkor.
Back home in Germany, football people think very highly of Arsene Wenger. They listen to what he has to say and admire his achievements.
Neymar is the most important player in our national team. His absence is felt when he doesn't play. Same holds true for Barcelona. Such is his impact.
I take pride in my life-my wife, my family. I try my best not to have football define the person that I am.
As footballers we have a massive platform that we should be using way more than we actually are.
John Terry has developed my game for sure.
My wife never went to many Liverpool games but if she was out on a Saturday, she would always ask someone for the score. If we had won, she'd simply be relieved that I would be coming home in a good mood.
Jurgen has a very proactive way to play, he set marks in Germany with his kind of football and that really influenced my style.
We're in a privileged position in sport and, above all, in football. We have a platform.
I know from my Real Madrid team-mates Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira and my family in Andalucia that people look up to me in Spain.
Some of my friends were gang-affiliated or gang-related, but that was just the way things were. I was lucky because football kept me busy and away from that bad path, to an extent.
Having failed as an NFL commentator, Limbaugh understands the power of football.
Maybe if I'd not been able to kick a ball it would have been different, but I doubt it because all my mates are decent blokes now, just normal fellas with families.
