The World Cup was an unbelievable experience! Leading up to the event, we worked so hard as a team – training twice, sometimes three times a day, to get our bodies in shape for the biggest competition of them all.
There was of course, a massive low for me on a personal level during the games; my infamous sending-off against Germany which was heart-breaking for me. There was, however, an important lesson which I learned from the whole experience: it is so important to be a good example to kids. Sometimes in life you have to deal with what is thrown in your direction and, although it was an extremely harsh red card, it made me stronger; it helped give me more strength and come back ready and fighting for the Serbia game with a real bounce in my step to do something special for my country and adoring fans.
We did, however, put in a superb team performance in our final group game against Serbia, and I managed to head in what was my third World Cup goal and I also received my second Man-of-the-Match award in two consecutive World Cups for my personal performance in that match.
I will never forget the fans and the support which the whole team received when we were out in South Africa; when our national anthem was being played, it sent shivers down my spine and it was a truly magical moment for all of the players.
It was also a great experience to discover the South African culture and way of life. We also got a great view of the wildlife whilst we were there; I saw zebras, giraffes, springboks, wild pigs and many more safari animals which was a surreal experience for me. I also had the opportunity to visit the Apartheid Museum which was sad but also a real eye-opener; it really helped me to appreciate South Africa and also to learn about their culture and history. It gave me a real perspective that there is a lot more going on in the world and much, much more to learn about…