England football

In this in-depth interview with Sky Sports to coincide with the release of his new book The People's Game: A View from A Front Seat in Football, ...

To say it would take away competitive advantage for the Premier League is a nonsense. We need to make sure that Karen Carney, who is doing the review of the women's game, is allowed to do her job and that those recommendations are implemented. But at this point it is time to keep calm because there is widespread, overwhelming support within football for the fan-led review recommendations. It is not a franchise league. It is a transient membership. It cannot just be a redistribution, it has to be regulation. And then we need to make sure we can prevent proposals like Big Picture and Super League and other examples that may come forward in the future. I believe we have the best leagues in the world but I believe we can be better. You let a lot of things pass when you are a player, when you are an employee, and you are not in a position of leadership, even though I was a union rep, I was at times captain of Manchester United and I was on the players' board with England. I feel more empowered to speak now and I feel stronger about those big issues that affect the game. It is about sustainability. It is about Bury.