After a short, yet extremely successful career in Germany and England, former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is now enjoying the life of a television pundit with BT Sport.
Yesterday the ex-midfielder, who won two Champions League titles with Bayern Munich (2001) and Manchester United (2008), was confirmed as one of BT's pundits for its new comprehensive European coverage.
Sports Mole caught up with Hargreaves to talk English players playing abroad and much more after the launch of BT Sport Europe, the new home of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
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You're one of only two English players to win the Champions League with a non-English club (the other being Steve McManaman). Do you think the dominance of Spanish, German and Italian clubs in recent seasons, along with the struggles of those from England, will result in England's best players seeking European success abroad?
"Well my move [to Bayern] was by chance. I ended up in Munich because I had a German coach. My background is very diverse to say the least.
"I then moved to the Premier League as I wanted a change of scenery. The Premier League is an incredibly difficult league to win and I just wanted a new challenge after winning the league in Germany four times. At 26 I thought that after 10 years in Munich it was time for a change of scenery.
"I think British players do want to play in the Premier League because I think the British tradition and those sort of things are very unique. Players have [left for European clubs] like Michael Owen, Steve McManaman (both switched Liverpool for Real Madrid). Steve was probably one of the more open-minded ones, you know in terms of going there and embracing the culture. I think if you do that then you have a real opportunity to succeed, but I think sometimes players have everything here on your doorstep - your family and friends.
"I think if you leave as a conscious decision to experience something new - like Macca did - then it's the right thing. It's the same reason why I came to Manchester United from Bayern Munich."
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One particular player in the spotlight is Raheem Sterling with his Liverpool future still in the air. Would it be best for him to stay in England or seek out a top club somewhere else in Europe?
"Well, you look at Gareth Bale. As great a player as he is and even after the great first season last year, how difficult it can be abroad. I think that the support you have here and the infrastructure - I think you would realise how much you miss home.
"He's still very young, but I would recommend anybody to go and experience it at some point. It's a beautiful thing to leave your comfort zone. You can grow as a person and open your mind. You learn a new language, a new culture and become a better, more well-rounded individual.
"I think everybody should do it, but right now [for Raheem] he's in a great place and should enjoy it while he can because Bale's a great example. It can be very tough abroad as expectations become very high. Raheem's come through the ranks at Liverpool, but if you leave for £40m - look at Mesut Ozil. He's a world-class player but there are such high demands on him."
At the moment, Sterling won't be involved in the Champions League but you will after BT secured the rights to broadcast all European football in the UK. Excited?
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"I am! It's going to be a little strange for viewers for it all to be in one place, the Europa League and Champions League. It's going to be a change for a lot of people, but obviously as you can see from the presentation today it looks very exciting - you think of the features in-game like the ability to change cameras and all the statistics.
"Technology's an important thing in life isn't it? You're recording this and there just continues to be growth and change, but still the focus is football which is a beautiful game."
Being a pundit has taken up a lot of your time since retirement. How are you enjoying it?
"It's different. You don't realise how much actually goes into a football game. I played in two Champions League finals and World Cups and I've never been at a stadium as early for a game as I have to be for TV.
"I mean sometimes we're getting to the ground at 7.30am because we'll have a show on before kickoff. Everything that goes into telly is quite remarkable when you see all the work and the effort. As a player, you don't actually appreciate how many people's jobs go into football.
"I enjoy it. You can't play forever, so sometimes the next best thing is where you can coach."
Is that something you'd be interested in doing, becoming a manager?
"Yeah I think so. I'm doing a bit of coaching and my badges right now with the kids at Manchester City and I enjoy that, but you know coaching is very time-consuming so I think you need to really commit to that.
"I've now committed to BT for three years before I started the badges, so I'll continue to enjoy it and learn a lot. It's a very big change, but it's great to be part of the Champions League coverage - a real privilege."
You've been covering the Premier League and other leagues this season. How do you think covering European games will be different?
"I think it will be easier because it's at the highest level and I've played Champions League football every year of my career, so I know it in and out - the players, the competition, the importance of the games.
"The job is to give an insight to fans and sometimes it's talking about the goals and tactical plot, but sometimes it's the insight into how players think and feel."
BT Sport Europe is the new home of top European football, with all UEFA Champions League matches and all UEFA Europa League matches exclusively live. Visit btsport.com/europe for more information.
Pascal Lemesre
