On the Road: Gary Lineker

What’s your favourite destination? Barcelona because I lived there for three years. Ibiza – having really long lunches on the beach. And LA because I’ve got a lot of mates there.

What are your earliest childhood holiday memories? Probably a couple of day trips to Skegness when I lived in Leicester. I remember my grandparents taking us away to Majorca, which was the first time we went on a sunshine holiday abroad. I was about eight or nine.

Is there something you really miss when you’re on holiday? Probably cooking, which is a new passion. Having been single now for about seven years, I got sick of eating out on my own and takeaways. I said, ‘Come on, Gary. Learn to cook.’ I cook all the time and if I do go away, I genuinely miss not cooking for myself, my boys and friends.

Was football your favourite sport when you were little? Football in the winter and cricket in the summer – I just loved whichever one I was playing at the time.

Do you still support Leicester City? Oh God, yeah. How we do still affects my weekend.

What team did you most enjoy playing for? Was playing for England the most exciting? The dream for me was to play for Leicester – and when I played at Barcelona. I loved my time at Tottenham and Everton as well. Playing for your country is obviously an absolute ambition and it’s always very special.

What skills were needed to be so lethal in the penalty area? It’s mathematics really and gambling on where you think the ball might go. You’ve got to be cool-headed and able to finish – and pace helps – but most of the ability to score goals is between the ears, and I’ve got big ears.

You never received a yellow or red card during your playing career – are you still so even-tempered? I’m very calm.

Do you miss playing? I really don’t. For the last two years in Japan I was permanently injured. I’ve found something else that I really love, in television. I work out in a gym three times a week, have a personal trainer, and do regular Pilates.

When did you realise Gazza had lost it? I don’t know. We played together, and he was great. We’re still in touch.

Would you have wanted one of your boys to become a footballer? Only if they’d been really unbelievably good, because it would have been very difficult for them otherwise.

Could you have played cricket for England? Are the skills very different from footballing skills? I was pretty good at cricket, and captained Leicestershire through my school years. Totally different – but it is a moving ball.

Do you mind the attacks on you for making political statements, particularly about having dark skin? No, because they generally come from extreme positions. I was called the P word consistently at school and was a tiny, geeky kid with sticky-out teeth and big ears, but I was good at sport, which bailed me out. That was the point I was trying to make.

Are you paid too much? I don’t think I’m paid enough!

Will England win this year’s World Cup? We have a fantastic group of young talent. So we will have a chance.

What did you think of the victory of the Lionesses? It was wonderful. They did brilliantly, and showed lots of character and resilience.

Can you tell me about your joke ‘Chloe Kelly is England’s heroine, bra none’? I’ve got eight and a half million Twitter followers, and a few took it out of context. I should have said, ‘It’s Wonderbra, playing against Germany.’

Where did you go on your honeymoons? The Caribbean with Michelle and Italy with Danielle.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? A live octopus when I was in Japan, which was gross, still wriggling when they put it in my mouth.

Do you have a go at the local language? I speak Spanish, and a little bit of Japanese.

What is the strangest place you’ve ever slept in – while being away? Why would I sleep somewhere strange?

What are your top travelling tips? Don’t eat plane food – I generally take on a salad.

50 Times Football Changed the World by Gary Lineker and Ivor Baddiel is out now