I've been fortunate to travel all over the world as a footballer, but a lot of the time players see little more than airports, stadiums and hotel rooms. Usually, teams fly in and out as quickly as possible.

It’s a myth that footballers only stay in the hotel playing cards or computer games. Many leap at the chance to explore a city. A lot of the big football places, such as Milan, Turin and Barcelona, are full of wonderful sights, great shops and fine restaurants.

I played for Real Madrid for a year and I got to know what a fabulous city the Spanish capital is. Louise and I loved dining out in the great restaurants, and we also discovered the lovely parks and incredible architecture.

But for holidays, there are two places we really enjoy as a family. The Algarve is where we own a villa, and our other favourite destination is Dubai.

Playing golf at the Quinta do Lago course on the Algarve is as good as it gets, and there’s.   ........