大象传媒

What's you role at Euro 2008?
I'll be blogging my way around Austria and Switzerland. My modest hope is to bring you the smiles, the heartache and the undoubted drama of the biggest football tournament in Europe, as well as an in-depth appraisal of the public transport system in the host countries.

Favourite team and favourite player?
I follow . I firmly believe to be the greatest player ever to walk the earth despite the fact he retired 13 years before I was born.

Ideal sporting dinner guest?
Alas, I'd be too much in awe of Sir Tom to have him as my ideal dinner guest and would opt for rugby league legend instead so I can find out whether he really does refer to himself in the third person at all times.

Best bit of advice you've received?
As a young child I accompanied an elder cousin to a football match and was stunned to see a supporter leave the ground on a stretcher after a terrace altercation. I thought he was dead. "Don't get involved in any of that," said my cousin. But the best piece of advice I ever received came from an inveterate gambler at a press agency I worked at one summer. I asked him for a tip one afternoon and, taking pity on the hapless student figure in front of him, said: "keep your money in your pocket".

Tell us something the public might not know about you...
England cricketer once failed to hit me off the square during a cricket match, though at 13 he was four years younger than me. I didn't realise it at the time, but my sporting career peaked that hazy Sunday morning 18 years ago.

Disappointed the Home Nations didn't make it?
Even though they always let you down I am nonetheless gutted that England will not be there. It won't be the same not having your artificially-inflated aspirations crushed by yet another penalty shoot-out.

Will there be another surprise winner?
I don't think we will see a rank outsider lift the trophy this time, as , but perhaps Spain or Portugal will bring some silverware to the Iberian peninsula.

Which player will take the tournament by storm?
cannot stop scoring and must be hoping that continues, while an in-form Fernando Torres will make a huge difference to Spain.

Finally, how many goals will be scored at Euro 2008?
73.