Nothing improves your confidence and brings a team together more than winning a cup.

As football gets more globalised, it's probably more important than ever to have one or two players in your team who have grown up in the same streets or been to the same schools as the hard-core fans.

For sportsmen or women who want to be champions, the mind can be as important, if not more important, than any other part of the body.

A winning player is nothing more than a player on a winning team. A losing player is a guy who played on a losing team that year.

There have been times when I've reflected on my international career and just thought: 'Well that was a massive waste of time.' Sorry for sounding sour, but my best mate, David Beckham, got butchered after the World Cup in 1998, then my brother, Phil, after Euro 2000.

I'm really happy with the team that we've put together for this Palmer Cup. Not only do we have experienced players who are having great college seasons, but we have guys who have competed in Palmer Cups, Walker Cups and The Masters. Hopefully we will have as much success as we did last time I coached.