“we have the talent to take albania to the world cup”

What’s been the highlight of your international career? Definitely winning a bronze medal at the World Cup two years ago. I still get goosebumps when I think about it. The whole tournament was a highl

What are your main hopes for this summer? I always see international tournaments as being like the Champions League: it takes more to win it. Everybody is on point, at the maximum and focusing on the

The Chelsea legend is now an academy coach at the club; after missing out on global domination as a player, he explains to FFT why he hopes the west Londoners can seize their chance in the US There ha

Would you say your long-range strike against Spain, which sent England to the Euro 2022 semi-finals, has been your career highlight to date? That tournament was a bit of a rocket for me. I was able to

Who were your heroes, growing up? Being a footballer is the dream for many boys and girls – I was no different. My dad used to work near Loftus Road, so despite having Arsenal and Palace fans in the f

When the Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened in April 1986, I was nine years old. I’d just had a trial with Dynamo Kyiv, and it had gone well, but everything changed. In the first few days following t