The coach journeys back from places like Exeter and Torquay are usually a nightmare to say the least. The weekend's trip back from Exeter was one of the better ones.

Over the last few years we haven't done particularly well at those places, so to win 4-0 on Saturday made the seven-hour journey that little bit easier to bear - and to top it off I even made a few quid coming out on top in our little card school.

There have been a few changes of late with Tommy leaving and Mick Tait taking over on a temporary basis. I have agreed to take a player-coach role to help Mick out as much as possible until something is sorted out permanently.

Although it has come a little earlier than I had expected or hoped, I'm still delighted and honoured to be given this chance to gain some valuable experience for the future. No doubt someone has been taking note of my impressive record while coaching the Middlesbrough under-11s!

This new role just adds to the growing list of tasks I have landed myself with. Now I'm getting on a bit I have started to plan a bit for the future. Like a lot of footballers I didn't really stick in at school, so I'm now trying to get some sort of qualifications for when I retire from the game. At the moment I go to college twice a week, coach the Middlesbrough kids twice a week, including a game on a Sunday morning, and have to look after my two kids every afternoon until my wife gets in from work. Who says footballers have too much time on their hands?

Let's hope we can start picking up the sort of results the kids have been getting - it would certainly bring the crowds back to Feethams.

Patrick Viera's suspension for NOT swearing at the referee is a bizarre one. It's a natural reaction to have a go and swear at a referee if he gets, in your opinion at least, a decision wrong. Some refs will have a go back while others will start flashing red and yellow cards about. I think most players would prefer a mouthful back than a card and a possible club fine. If the abuse gets out of hand the ref is right to act but getting banned for telling a ref he has no personality is a bit strong.

Wayne Rooney looks set to be the next big star to arrive on the scene.

From what I've seen of him on TV he seems to have it all at the age of 16. I can remember watching Paul Gascoigne from the old Gallowgate end when he first broke into the Newcastle team.

I can honestly say I've never seen anyone who has come close to touching him in those first few years - he was an absolute genius.

It is going to be interesting to see how Rooney develops and how he is going to handle all the media attention.

Published: 29/10/2002