United are about attacking football, and everything else has to takes its place behind that.
Let me tell you what it is like playing against Messi. You are up against a footballer who can take the ball either side of you, and you have no idea which side that might be from any hint about his body-shape.
Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.
Any good attacker will always beat a defender who's face-marking you.
It doesn't matter how many goals you score; one goal is enough if you don't let one in your net.
I know the importance of the number 10. In Brazil, the one who wears 10 constructs the attacks.
Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are two of the best strikers in the league and the reason I came to the Premier League was to play against people like them.
I played Zidane throughout my career, and for many players you reach a point where you learn lessons on how to handle them. But from the first match I played against him to the last, Zidane would find different ways to beat me.
With Luis Enrique, I never expected he would become a coach. He was an intuition player; he didn't speak with me about tactics.
I have faced many, but the most annoying was James Milner. He follows you forward and follows you backwards. It's very difficult because he attacks you and defends you, and then attacks you and defends you again.
When I signed for Barca, I knew their playing style was suited to my game.
You can have Guardiola as a manager, you can have Koeman as a manager, anybody as a manager, but the players inside the white lines win the game.
I like to be involved as much as I can in the game, and in the middle, you're definitely the heartbeat of the team. When you're on the right, you can go minutes without seeing the ball, and that's a long time when you're out on the pitch.
My confidence has been really building since my time at Espanyol. The two coaches are actually very similar on the pressing side of the game. They spend a lot of time on that side of it, and it's a lot of hard work.
When I see Lionel Messi play soccer, he lets the game come to him. He lets the game unveil itself to him, then like a lion he eats the whole thing.
I have no problem with Sir Alex Ferguson.
I genuinely enjoy watching the full-back run up the pitch and going across to fill in.
Since we travel a lot as a team, I spend a lot of time on a plane where I like to play 'Football Manager.' I have been a soccer fan since I was 5 years old, so to be able to manage soccer teams is a lot of fun.
In England and Germany, perhaps, there is more of a focus on the physical side of the game, in breaking down the opposition's play, especially against the lower placed sides.
I think as a central defender you grow as a player.
The best place to defend is in the opposition penalty box.
I always wanted to play in Europe for a long time. They move the ball, and they move bodies, and that's what I like doing.
It's always good to have players who can help us in attack.
I'm lucky to have played two different positions. But of course the experience I gained as a full back - knowledge of defending, and taking up the right positions, helps me as a midfielder.
I can be the only defensive midfielder and try and break up play. Or I can play a little more forward.
