You've previously expressed an interest in the Aberdeen job and vowed to break the Celtic and Rangers stranglehold in Scotland - do you still believe you could achieve this and if so, how do you set about closing the big gap between the Old Firm and the rest?

Well, I'm not going to give that information am I? Because the opportunity hasn't been granted. Had it been granted, then I could have expanded a little bit more in it. The reality is that I wasn't given that opportunity to show what I'm capable of doing, so they gave it to someone else. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what I think or what my philosophy may be, you'll never know because I haven't been given that opportunity. So I probably have to wait my turn again. What we have seen over the years is lesser teams have been able to be successful despite the power of Celtic and Rangers, the stranglehold that Celtic and Rangers had in the Scottish League for so many years. No one has been able to break into that, you know, the Premier League, probably the most prolific league in the world, you know, seen the likes of Leicester, done remarkable stuff in recent years. What we haven't seen in recent times is anybody in this Scottish League has been able to sort of get between Celtic and Rangers. So, you know, that's my inspiration in terms of trying to break the stranglehold. There's certainly that dominance that Celtic and Rangers have had over the years.

Would it take one of the bigger jobs in Scotland (Hibs/Hearts/Aberdeen) to grab your interest in a manager role north of the border or would you be open to a lower Premiership/Championship opportunity?

I am open to all options. I would not turn my nose up at any opportunity. Once my ambition as a coach matches the ambition of the owners of the football club, that we can work together in terms of bringing success, then I will look at the available options. At the moment, there isn't, so it's very difficult to expand on that.

You have openly admitted you had the chance to join Celtic in your playing career under Martin O'Neill and decided against it in the end. Was that the only opportunity to come to Scotland and how far down the line did talks with the Hoops go?

Yeah, well, listen, the Premier League, I've been there from the very beginning since the Premier League in 92 when it started at Villa. So I've been there and I've never been outside of the Premier League, so it was very difficult to look elsewhere because there was never any interest. After all, in every club I played for, I've always had a good career, between Villa and Man United, that's 14, 15 years of my playing career between those two clubs. So I haven't been outside of that. But I wasn't in a very good place. My sister had passed away and I wasn't really in a very good mood, I thought a change would be great for me to get away from England for a bit, getting away from the hype of the media there as well, because I was under a lot of scrutiny with my ex-relationship with a certain individual.

And so I feel like I needed a break and I needed a change. And so when Celtic came asking, and then I had to look at it and I did, I went up there and had a very good conversation with Martin O'Neill. The deal was already done and agreed to, but eventually, I decided against it because Birmingham came in at the last minute. Again, going back to Birmingham, which is where Aston Villa is based, I felt that that was something that resonated with me, although that didn't turn out well. But that was the main reason. And to stay in the Premier League, of course, which was always, that's the league I've always played in.

Ten Hag has come under a lot of pressure this season. Following the Newcastle game, is it Ten Hag or the squad that should be under fire?

I think it's a bit of both actually, because there's a lot of questions in it, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of answers to go with the questions that are there. And so that's a bit worrying because of the lackluster performance, the results against Galatasaray that we were in a winning position and not being able to close that off. The result against Newcastle and the games ahead of us. So, listen, it's not been great. There were a lot of issues on and off the pitch. I don't particularly blame it on the takeover, the football club, or that sort of aspect because it doesn't affect the players from playing or traveling. They don't get involved in that sort of aspect of it, but it might affect the manager in some way. So there are a lot of questions out there that have been unanswered, but we are not in a good place. We seem so lack of something, lack of belief of, you know, the confidence seems to have gone out of the team. And that is certainly not what we all expect to be in a United team.

That Garnacho goal against Everton was arguably the goal of the season, and we’re not even halfway through the games. Do you think you’ve scored any better goals than that?

No, but I had a couple come close, I think Barcelona in the Champions League, I had an overhead kick that the keeper saved, but someone scored from it, I had scored a couple of bicycle kicks, one for United and one for Villa back in the day. So I've had my fair share, maybe not at that, quite spectacular level. But the Barcelona one was good, but it didn't go in, from the rebound, we scored. Yeah, pretty much the same, it's the same sort of stuff. You gotta be dynamite to do that kind of stuff. That's not for every Tom, Dick, and Harry around the place. But yeah, I mean, I've had a couple of good attempts over the years, I've done a few, and yeah, that one (Garnancho’s) is the best overhead kick in Premier League history, for sure.

It's better than Rooney’s. I was in the studio working for Sky Sports that day. I think a lot of people are biased because he's English and whatever, and that kind of stuff. I've been there, I've seen it. I know what it's like. And for people to even think that Rooney’s is better? Okay, maybe in terms of the magnitude of the game, the local derby, but the best goal is the best goal. It doesn't matter where you're playing or who you play for. The goal is better. I don't think there is any debate about it. I don't know why people keep stirring it up because it's Wazza. I mean, it's fantastic, don't get me wrong, but Garnacho’s goal is far better than Rooney's by a mile.

Do you think Rasmus Højlund is the answer to United’s striker problem?

No, because I don't want to go too much into it, but, you know, you've got an unknown striker that wasn't on the radar. I'd never heard of him until he came to United. So I'm a little bit precarious about it. The fact that you know, he may have all the potential, but you can't ask a 20-year-old to come into United and sort of take charge. I think in the years to come, maybe he will develop into that type of place. But for him to carry the baton forward, he has got, you know, he has got a long way. He's still learning the game. He is 20 years of age or 21. Yeah, no, he's not in that bracket of exceptional strikers and players. He is a very good player, but he's not in that exceptional Haaland type of mold, he's way behind. So to pin that down on one individual, then that's not fair, I don't think on him. He still has a lot of development to do.

How do you rate Anthony Martial's time at United overall?

I think they missed a boat with him. And I'm going to be straight to the point. I think when you have a player at 26, or 27 going out on loan, you don't send good players out on loan at 26, or 27, you send those players out when they're young and trying to develop and get some game time. We did it with Jesse Lingard and took him back. That was just a huge mistake. And I think the club is messed up in both those circumstances, in Jesse and in Anthony Martial, that was never going to blossom. I thought when he first came, he was potentially wise, he looked like a real deal, but he hasn't kicked on. And I've always had an issue, and I'm talking with my coaching head on here. If someone is going on loan at 26, or 27, that tells me he's not good enough to be on my football team at that age.

Varane and Casemiro are apparently moving on in the summer. Do you think they did the job they were bought for or do you see those signings as failures?

Well, last year was really encouraging from both players, wasn't it? When you look at what we've been doing, you would've thought that this is the year to build even more so with the experience and what they bring to the table. The reality is that it hasn't kicked on this season and has been stop-start. We know Casemiro hasn't hit the heights that he hit last season. Varane lost his place through injuries. And now he can't get back in the team. So yeah, I think that's just a bit of a hit and miss in many respects, you know one that, again, you can probably look at the people who make the signings and the people who bring the players at the football club.

What's the main reason behind the purchase of these players? What were we trying to expect within that timeline and where United was meant to be in those periods? So at the end of the day, you looked at where we are now, and you would say, you know, the first season, terrific. We're not even midway through the second part of the season, and these two players are not even featured in our teams at the moment, they're huge players with lots of experience. So again, that's a bit of a red flag for us.

Varane in particular looks to have fallen out of favor, is there a theme here? How is a 4-time Champions League winner not making the first 11 in this team at the moment?

Like I said, there's a lot of questions, but not too many answers, right? We don't know. He doesn't give us any explanation. The reasons are all tactical with him. When you have your left back playing center back, that's not a good sign. If you are center back, you just, you're not going to be too pleased about that. And you know, you play football long enough, you know it's not rocket science to work that one out. He's out of favor and he doesn't seem like any player in his position would be happy, let alone a 4-time Champions League winner with multiple other trophies to his name. It's just not a happy ground for him at the moment.

Do you have any thoughts on the ownership situation, with Jim Ratcliffe now taking over all sporting decisions?

No, not really. Again, as a player, you don't really, you want the best for the club. And these owners and these billionaires want to come in and really wipe out the debts and take the club forward and do all the right things and improve the training ground, improve the ground, give more money to buy players. I mean, that's all you want to hear. As a player and as a fan, that's all that matters, taking the club forward. And it doesn't matter if it's Jim Ratcliffe taking over or the Qatari's or whoever it is, once they fulfill what they say they're going to do, I think most fans will be pretty much happy about it.

Would anyone in the current Man United squad fit in in the 1999 dressing room?

You really want me to answer that? I don't think there will be any answer to that, right? Not even close. Not currently, no. I would say Rashford for last season might have been looked at, but based on this season, no, no one.

Obviously Man United's rivals won the treble last year. What were the celebrations like in your treble-winning season, in particular after the Champions League final?

Well, it's a historical moment, isn't it? Not too many clubs have been able to do that and to be part of that elite group of players and team that has been able to do it in the past. And we were the first, it took them 25 years before they even got anywhere near to it, and good luck. And so the fact that we are the first and always will be the first and, you know, they understand what we have gone through. And the celebration is a unique one because you don't get to do this type of stuff very often. So you want to remember, but ultimately you gotta refocus and get back to playing football when the celebration is over.

Villa seem to have come out of nowhere this year to cement themselves as a real top-four contender, do you think they’ve got it in them to stay there?

Yeah, they look really good. I'm very impressed. I know they have very ambitious owners. And Villa has been in the wilderness for some time now, but they have shown the consistency and the way they play through Emery, the way he got them believing a lot more. They have some good energy and good players within their teams and they have this free-flowing type of football, which I love, and they attack teams and go at teams most of the time. Play a very high line at the back. But it's something that the players buy into and that's the most important thing.

They have an experienced manager with a wealth of experience behind him and the players, most importantly, are buying into whatever his idea is. There's no right or wrong or what is philosophy or formation. If the players understand you clearly in terms of what they're trying to do and how to play, then that's probably half the battle or more than half the battle. Then the players seems to take to it, and he's just doing a fantastic job.

How do you rate Unai Emery as a manager?

He had a tough time, I think he was well documented when he came here at Arsenal, and that didn’t materialize, but he's gone back, he's rolled his sleeves up, and did what he did at Seville for a number of years. The consistency of winning the Europa League and all the stuff that he's done there. So he is deserving of a second crack at the whip. And when you have an ambitious manager with a good setup and a good team, now that's the kind of manager who's chomping at the bit, and wants to prove himself at this level. It certainly didn't work out the first time around for him.

So the second time around, he wants to show everyone what he's capable of doing, and that's what he has been able to show to this point. So it'd be interesting to see if they are finishing in that top four. I think if it is done, then that's a remarkable job. But the fact that Villa is anywhere near the top at the moment, he deserves a lot of credit for what he's done with the football team.

As a striker yourself, is there something that impresses you about Ollie Watkins’ game?

I like him. I like the energy that he brings to the team. He is always on the move. He's trying to run in behind defenders. His work ethic is superb. His finishing, it's not bad at all. So his hold-up play, maybe a little bit questionable, but he will get better with time. The more games, the more confident, and the more goals he scores, he will become a more complete player. He has got a little exposure with England as well. So that would give him a world of confidence going forward. But overall, I like his movement, which is great. He's a threat to defenders. He can go both ways. He kicks with both feet. So I think he's turning out to be a terrific player for Villa.

Do you think they’ll go all the way in the Europa Conference League?

Yeah. I would think that's one of the main trophies that they will try to win as well as well as try to finish in that top four. But if you were to ask me the way Villa is looking at this point, they will be one of the favorites to try and go on to win that competition for sure.

Man City became the second team in England to win the treble after your United side, have they got it in them to win the quadruple?

Yeah, listen, I think it's a little bit, you know, we questioned that last year and they did it didn't they, so, but this year I think it'll be double difficult. I think that they'll lose a couple of their players. You see the injuries that they have, I'm not sure if they'll be able to survive it. They'll come close, you know, I don't think you're going to play, but I think they will get a little bit more hiccups this time around than last year. They got a little bit of luck, which you need a little bit, but I'm not so sure if they will have all that luck going their way in terms of injuries and suspensions and teams not being at their best and getting away with a few things. So I don't think they will do as well. I mean, but if they do, it will probably be one of the most impressive achievements of all of it, surpassing our treble-winning year without a doubt, for sure.

Can anyone win the league ahead of them this year?

Yeah, I think there's two, I think there's two genuine contenders. I think that Liverpool is below the radar, although they're in the Champions League and don't seem to hit the headlines as much, they've been slowly just putting themself into a position to try and attack somewhere along the line. And I think Arsenal, you can't rule Arsenal out. They would've had experience from last year. They made the mistakes and I think this year they're not going to make so many mistakes. But it'll be interesting to see. I always think it's too early to look elsewhere. I think it's a three-horse race for me at the moment. I don't think anybody else will be able to. But I think those three that I've identified will be the ones that will be fighting for the league this season.

Everton’s ten-point deduction was viewed as harsh by many. How do you see it?

Yeah, I could understand why a lot of people think it's a bit harsh when you think of all the stuff, the reason behind that they got the deduction of the points, then you could understand, but I would think that they would've done their due diligence and understood it. Maybe the 10-point deduction is probably a little bit heavy on that point. It could have been maybe a little bit less. It could have been a six-pointer I think, but they decided against it, but it's not my call. But once you break the rules, you are likely to pay the price and they have done that.

Do you think we’ll see similar punishments for Manchester City and Chelsea, given their outstanding charges?

Yeah, well I think it'll be fair to say then they'll try to even it out. But we don't know. I'm not an expert in that department and don't know all the ins and outs. It's very hard to predict this stuff. But I assume that you know, the fact that Everton has suffered the consequences, I think everyone is watching Chelsea and certainly City to see if they're going to get similar punishments. So it'd be interesting to watch the space with that one.

The points deduction sees Everton back in the relegation places, is this their final year in the Premier League?

No, because Burnley and Sheffield United haven't gone away from them. There was a massive win, it was last week or the weekend for them as well. So that's huge. So they're closing the gap. They still have a long way to go, where they realistically have a chance. I think that kind of stuff suits Everton, I think the manager, they got the right manager for that sort of stuff and I think they will relish the opportunity. So I would say they have a very good outside chance of surviving.

Spurs made a brilliant start to the league, but it all seems to have petered off out. Do you think Ange Postecoglou has been brought crashing back down to earth with his tactics?

It's been a breath of fresh air, I must say, in terms of the attacking style that he brings, obviously a little bit injury-prone in terms of the number of players with injuries and suspensions. So he hasn't been able to get his best team out there. You could see what he'd done against City at the weekend. They had a go and it's a very interesting way of playing. But when it goes well, it's fantastic. If it goes the other side and you know, they're likely to be exposed, but he's got his philosophy and the way that he wants his team to play. And that goes back to what I said before.

That's what you want people to buy into your ideas and the players are bought into it. So we will watch that space, but I don't think they're title contenders. They huff and puff, that's what Spurs do. They huff and puff but not going to make any massive impact. They're going to maybe finish top six, top seven, I expect them to finish along those lines. But in terms of the top four and pushing to try and compete against the big boys in terms of winning the Premier League, they’re a few years off from that.

Out of your three former clubs, who’s more likely to make it back to the Premier League first, Blackburn, Sunderland, or Birmingham City?

Blackburn and Sunderland, I would say maybe Blackburn looked the more likely, I know Sunderland has missed the boat. I think when you miss the boat, it's always a long way back. You know, they had the opportunity last year to try and get to the playoffs and then try to sneak through the back door. They didn't capitalize. I don't think so. I'm going to go Blackburn. I think Blackburn is the one that might just creep back in there. Seems to be playing some decent football and getting some good results at the moment. So again, they were knocking on the door for a period last year as well and fell away. So I just feel Blackburn have a little bit more to them than what Sunderland has to offer at this present time.

I don't consider Birmingham as my team that much because I was only there for a very, very short period of time. But I understand, listen, Rooney is somebody that I know I wish him the best in terms of trying to get Birmingham up. I think they will struggle in that and I think it's going to be a long, hard season for Birmingham. But I wish him the best in terms of turning that club around again.

How did Sir Alex Ferguson's management style specifically help you evolve as a player?

Yeah, well, he made me a complete player when I got there. He said, listen, when I joined the club was just to come and express yourself. You are a very good player. Makes me feel 10 feet tall. Understand that I was playing for a club with such history and you need to embrace it and go out and enjoy yourself and play the Man United Way. And I think once a manager tells you those kind words, it's like, okay, this is what he wants. And he was superb. He is a terrific manager. He would look into my eyes and tell me that I was better than I was. And that's all I needed to do.

So I knew I was a good player, but I thought I was an even better player when I went to United because when someone invests that type of money in you and tells you that you are the best, then that's all the encouragement I needed. So I was very grateful to play in a team with such quality as well. You look throughout that team, there was quality all around, and football was such a joy and pleasure to play at such a high level, consistently for the time that we did and what we achieved in such a short space of time.

The impact was immense and immediately there was a lot of good stuff in there that when I joined United that I can look back and feel, wow, that was simply amazing. He doesn't really improve you in terms of your style of play because he never coached. He was never a coach. He was more of a man manager and had his coaches do the coaching so he knew what he was buying. I think one of the big things that Sir Alex Ferguson had, as a manager, was that he had a good eye for players. And I told him that they were Man United. He called them the Man United players who came in and really could deal with the big crowd and the expectations at the football club. And he's been very, very good at that.

Can you share a piece of advice from Sir Alex that has stayed with you?

Enjoy the moment. Those moments will always be with you and embrace the challenge ahead of you. And I think that's something that I've always taken with me, whatever, and give 100% every time because there will come a time when your career comes to a stop.

Is there a striker around today that reminds you of yourself?

No, not really. The one that I thought was close to me at the time when I was playing was Mane when he left. So that was the one, he wasn't a striker. I wasn't really a striker, but he reminded me of the way he was attacking and, you know, the agility and the ability and the movement and stuff that he had. Kind of reminded me of me. I think Ollie Watkins, is not bad in terms of his movement and his energy. But yeah, no one, no one reminds me too much because I could head it as well. They can't head the ball anymore, these guys. So yeah, no, not really. They don't make them like us anymore.

Did you have any thoughts on David Beckham’s recent documentary? Whether he was a world-class player seems to be a debate. What’s your opinion?

Nah, he was better than what people give him credit for. Hardworking, and very dedicated to the game. The best delivery of a football. Had a lot more in his locker than people give him credit for. Overall, I rate him very, very highly on a scale out of 10, he's an eight, solid eight. Very good. I have a lot of respect for David. I had a really good time playing alongside him for four years. I got to know him extremely well. I have not a bad word to say about the guy. I wish him all the very best going forward.

Not that he needs any more luck than he already has, he doesn't need any. But yeah, I have no animosity towards David Beckham. I think he was terrific. He was good for me. He made a lot of goals for me while I was playing there. We lived pretty much a hundred yards from each other while he was in Manchester. And we shared the same agent at the time. So yeah, I have a lot of time for him. No dramas at all.