50 years young and I've lived the dream (with a few regrets!)

WHAT else would a man want to do on his 50th birthday than watch Macclesfield's Under-18s in the FA Youth Cup against Guiseley?

To bring up my half-century, I politely deferred my wife's offer of a celebration dinner because I'm addicted to football - and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Of course, family means everything to me and I'm sure we'll have that special meal soon.

My best trait is also my worst - I wear my heart on my sleeve, and if wanting to be a successful manager makes me obsessive about doing well for my club, then even landmark birthdays may have to take a back seat.

Fifty? Wow, where did the years go? But for 35 years, more or less, I've lived the dream and spent a lifetime in football. It's hard to believe the skinny kid at school, who weighed only 7st wet through, went on to play 623 games (392 of them in the top flight), captain four Premier League clubs, play with a World Cup winner (Christophe Dugarry at Birmingham), write a column in the Daily Mirror, co-host a BBC Radio phone-in and become manager of a club resurrected from the ashes.

I never dreamed I would commentate on my son Charlie playing for Manchester United in the Champions League at Old Trafford and see him following in my footsteps by playing for his country.

And I never dreamed I would be sitting here, on my 50th birthday, hoping to spend another 20 years in the game.