British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has opened up in an exclusive interview with Fair Betting Sites, professing his desires to fight old foe Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather in an exhibition fight.
In a wide-ranging interview, Hatton predicts Tyson Fury will finish Derek Chisora this coming Saturday, in a late stoppage. ‘The Hitman’ also urges Chisora to ‘hang up his gloves’ and retire after Saturday’s fight with Fury.
If you would like to use the quotes from this interview, you must credit Fair Betting Sites and link to fairbettingsites.co.uk.
Here are the key stories from the interview:
- Fury WILL beat Chisora by late stoppage
- I would like to see Derek Chisora Retire after Fury fight on Saturday
- I want to fight Floyd Mayweather again in an exhibition
- Fury would beat Joshua (he’s too good for Joshua)
- Tommy Fury would beat Jake Paul all day long, no contest!
- Boxing has to modernise and accept YouTube fighters
- Boxing fans must believe what Conor Benn says, that he’s not a cheat
- Taylor vs Serrano best fight off all time
- Increase in pay-per-view prices ‘is worrying’
- Fighting at 44 years-old has been massive lifestyle change for me
- Exhibition fights are a must for older boxers who want to carry on fighting, to keep them from getting hurt
Full transcript
Question: I’m delighted to be joined by none other than ‘The Hitman’ Ricky Hatton. Ricky, how are you keeping?
Ricky Hatton (RH): “I’m doing good. I’m just off my exhibition bout with Marco Antonio Barrara a few weeks ago. I’m straight back in the gym now, I’m keeping my weight off.
It’s been a lifestyle change for me to be honest with you. I’m getting a little bit older now so I need to be looking after myself weight wise. It’s been a good thing from top to bottom.”
(Q): What was it like then to be back in the ring at the Manchester Arena again?
(RH): “It was brilliant to be honest with you. I was shocked at the crowd, the size of the crowd and the atmosphere and everything.
Obviously the cost of living now is very, very expensive for people. Christmas is coming up too of course. But the crowd that turned up was really touching.
To do it with someone like Marco Antonio Barrera was a dream come true. I’ve been a friend of Marco’s for a number of years now. We all know how good Marco Antonio Barrera was but to find out first hand just how good he actually was an absolute dream.”
(Q): Do you see yourself doing more things like that [the Barrera exhibition] moving forward?
(RH): “If an offer came I would certainly look at it. What it did for my own personal well being, having a goal and a target, something to strive for. We get older, we still need something to get out of bed for in the morning don’t we? It was brilliant. I’ll always look at it because there was nothing negative that came from it.
It got postponed originally. It was actually meant to happen on July 2nd first, and then it got postponed until November 12th. I kept in training, I kept in shape and that’s the way forward.
It inspired a lot of people as well. The amount of letters from people that I got that suffer from mental health problems and saw what a bad way I was in a few years ago. Seeing me do this was a positive and was hugely inspiring.
People who have problems with their weight have said ‘Ricky you’ve done amazing to get into the shape you have done at 44-years-of-age’. There was nothing negative to come out of it so if you look at it from that point of view, if an offer came in to do it again, I would certainly consider it.
I am 44 now and going into training camp every five minutes is a lot tougher these days but I would certainly look at it as there was nothing negative to come from it.”
(Q): Do you think a ‘legends league’ could be feasible?
(RH): “I don’t know to be honest. I’m all for these exhibitions. The one thing we worry about as boxing fans is that your heroes give it one last go and end up getting knocked out and hurt. Muhammad Ali is the one that comes to mind. It was heartbreaking to see him get beaten by Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick and that.
These exhibitions are different in the sense there is an understanding between the person you’re doing the exhibition with. Shorter rounds, less rounds, bigger gloves – there’s an understanding between the two so you can showcase your talent and skills one last time for the fans, without seeing your heroes get hurt or beat up.
I’m all for these exhibitions. Don’t get me wrong, I know my best days are behind me. There is no way I’m going back to 12×3’s and eight ounce gloves again [Ricky laughs]. But having said that, with these exhibitions you can see your heroes, watch them showcase their skills one last time with no risk of seeing them get knocked out which is always the main worry as a boxing fan.”
(Q): What do you think of the domestic super-lightweight division right now? It really is a stacked division domestically.
(RH): “It always has been. I’m delighted that Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall are getting it on again. Not just for Jack [Catterall] to get the opportunity, he deserves the opportunity. No disrespect to Josh [Taylor] but I thought he lost that fight like most people do. But in fairness to Josh, he has insisted that he wants it. They’re having the rematch which is what champions do.
There is a little bit of a question mark there. Josh has been there and proven the champion that he is by giving Jack another chance. Obviously Jack Catterall trains in Manchester with his trainer and my friend – Jamie Moore, so I see a lot of Jack.
It was really heartbreaking from a financial perspective for what he would have done if he had won all of those belts and the titles. It would have been incredible for him. He sort of missed out a bit, but at least he’s going to get a second chance. Fair play to Josh Taylor for doing that.”
(Q): How would you say that rematch is going to go?
(RH): “If we’re going off the first fight, I’d like to think Jack Catterall will do it. It would just be sods law wouldn’t it if Josh Taylor just turned it on that night. Listen, everyone is entitled to a bad night. That might have been Josh Taylor’s bad night.
I’ll slightly go with Jack Catterall because I think that performance from last time will have put a dent in the back of Josh Taylor’s mind. We all know how good Jack Catterall is but I think he performed better than any of us anticipated that night. Josh Taylor could just have had an off night too.
I think it’s a real 50/50 fight, I really do. I think Jack just had one of those nights where he was bang at it. I think this one will be a damn sight closer but can still go either way.”
(Q): A fight that hasn’t been made, Errol Spence vs Terrence Crawford. Is that frustrating for you as a boxing fan that we aren’t seeing these big fights?
(RH): “We’ve had the same thing many times and sometimes it happens in boxing. We’ve been blessed in boxing with lots of great fights recently but it’s like the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua situation. Everyone is demanding that the two best heavyweights fight each other but it just doesn’t seem to be happening.
It’s the same with Crawford and Spence. Two unbeaten world champions, pound-for-pound contenders. It’s a must that these fights happen for the sport. If these fights don’t happen it’s bad for our sport.
I think with so many things going wrong, with the likes of YouTubers fighting UFC fighters and UFC fighters facing boxers, fights at catch weights and this and that, the one thing we will forgive them but only if these big fights happen, they need to happen.
I wouldn’t say our sport is going down hill but the entertainment value is sometimes more important than the titles are at stake these days. You’ve got two unbeaten fighters there, two world champions, pound-for-pound greats at the height of the division and it’s not happening. But then you might then get a YouTuber who has 50 million followers that gets the limelight.
Those are the fights that should be getting the limelight [Crawford v Spence, Fury v Joshua etc]. They should be happening which is heartbreaking really. It’s been on the cards for a while and for whatever reason doesn’t seem to be making any progress.”
(Q): You mentioned Fury and Joshua there. Surely that fight has to happen?
(RH): “Yes. Tyson the other week was saying ‘You’ve got until 5 o’clock to make your decision’ and this and that. I love Tyson and that, but it’s just too big a fight for it not to happen. You can’t just be giving until tea time on Monday to sign a contract. It’s that big a fight and it does take time.
I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault in particular either. It just takes time for big fights like this to get agreed. You’ve got a different promoter, different TV company – it’s frustrating.
The boxers want it. The boxers are always the ones that want the fights and it’s just the politics that sometimes gets in the way. I think Frank Warren wants it, I think Eddie Hearn wants it. I think Tyson Fury wants it, I think AJ wants it but it’s just not happening! I can’t put my finger on what it is. I’m pretty confident we’re going to get it over the line sooner or later though.
There’s the Usyk fight – that’s another one. You’ve got AJ, you’ve got Tyson, you’ve got Usyk – if you can’t get the AJ fight, then let’s try to make the Usyk fight. It just doesn’t seem to be happening at the minute but I can’t put my finger on it.
The AJ and Tyson fight has been talked about for three or four years now. It doesn’t look good on the sport when Crawford v Spence isn’t happening when we all know it should happen. AJ and Tyson not happening – it doesn’t look good.
Those are the proper fights but then we’ve got the YouTube crew nicking all the limelight. For the sake of our sport we need these fights to happen.”
(Q): In an ideal world if Fury and Joshua do agree and fight next summer at Wembley Stadium, who would you be backing there?
(RH): “I think Tyson is just too good in every department. No disrespect intended to AJ and what he’s done. Olympic gold medalist, two-time heavyweight champion of the world – his legacy is cemented to a certain degree.
This is the fight that they both need to have. AJ showed that he can be outboxed like he did against Usyk. When you think about it, Tyson is just a bigger Usyk. He’s got the height, he’s got the reach, he’s got the ability , he can box in southpaw, he can box orthodox, he can fight at the close-quarter range, he can fight at a distance – he’s just a good all rounder.
With AJ though you don’t just get an olympic gold medal if you haven’t got the boxing ability. He’s also got punching power. If anybody is going to beat Tyson Fury, it probably will be Anthony Joshua.
I just think that Tyson has all the advantages. He’s got the boxing brain, I think he can change his tactics mid fight and stuff like that. He’s so versatile. He can go to war, he can box at a distance, he has a wonderful defence, he can go southpaw, orthodox, and I don’t know if AJ – who has done the country really proud being two-tie heavyweight champion of the world, olympic gold medalist – I don’t know if he’s good enough to suss out the puzzle of Tyson Fury. I think he’d just be too clever and too good all round I think.
Fingers crossed we get it over the line, absolutely.”
(Q): Tyson Fury is fighting Derek Chisora for the third time this weekend. Do you think this is more even than people are perceiving it to be or is this a routine victory for Tyson?
(RH): “It’s the third time they will have boxed so you do think what are they going over old ground for? But Derek is still hanging in there, he’s still knocking on the door, he’s still been putting performances in. He deserves his shot.
We all want to see Tyson versus Joshua, and if we don’t see that we want to see Tyson vs Usyk. If we can’t get Tyson versus Usyk then we’ll watch AJ and Usyk – they are the top three in the mix who we want to see fighting each other.
But after that you’ve got the other batch of top heavyweights and there could be six, seven or eight of them and Derek is definitely one of them that’s in there. He’s a larger than life character, he’s entertaining.
I think the fact that Tyson has beaten him twice doesn’t make it look good but at the end of the day if the big fights aren’t out there and can’t get made, Tyson’s still got to be fighting hasn’t he? He’s still got his bills to pay, he can’t be sitting around waiting for the AJ fight because we’ve been waiting for three years haven’t we? He’s got to get on with it.
Tyson will be thinking ‘we can’t make the AJ fight, we can’t make the Usyk fight’, but there’s a batch of others and Derek Chisora is one of the batch and is one of the contenders knocking on the door. I can see why people are disappointed in it but one thing that boxing has taught us is that there are always going to be upsets, especially in the heavyweight division.
We’ll talk about Joshua, we’ll talk about Usyk – if Tyson takes his eye off the ball and big D [Chisora] lands one, you never know. Tyson has been on his back a few times. Those fights with Wilder, there are a few more miles on the clock now with Tyson so you never know.
I think at the end of the day Derek probably deserves his shot. He’s kept knocking on the door, he’s entertaining and we’ll forgive this fight if we get the main fight that we’re after – the Joshua one or the Usyk one. But if that;s not going to happen then in the meantime it’s a domestic fight, two British heavyweights, that’s the way we’ve got to look at it I guess.”
(Q): If I had to ask you for a prediction for the Fury v Chisora 3 fight, how do you think it will go?
(RH): “I would probably say Tyson Fury by a late stoppage again. I love Derek Chisora to bits, he’s absolutely first class but I think there are a fair few miles on Derek’s clock now. Most definitely after this fight I would like to see Derek hang them up.
I think Tyson is a little bit fresher, he’s got all the attributes that I’ve mentioned with the height and reach and I think Derek has been to the well a few times. Tyson by a late stoppage. It’ll be entertaining. Derek will bring it to him for however long it lasts. He might find that he’s hitting fresh air a few times but yes, I think Tyson will win via late stoppage.”
(Q): What is your opinion on YouTube boxing?
(RH): “I’m old school. The one thing I wanted to do when I was coming up was to become world champion and to be the best in my weight division. But things are changing and the fighting world has just moved on leaps and bounds. We’ve got UFC/mixed martial arts now which is massive, we’ve got boxing – even though I’m old school, I think we’ve got to move with the times. If you don’t, it’s going to pass you by. You say ‘I want to fight this guy, I want to fight that guy, I don’t want to fight a YouTuber’ – that’s where all the money is.
You’ve got Jake Paul who is a massive name now, everyone wants to fight him – he’s box office value. As an old school boxer, we’ll put up with the Jake Paul’s and this fight and that fight and the Youtubers, as long as we get the Tyson vs Aj fight, the Spence vs Crawford fight. If we’re still getting them, then really, who cares about the other ones?
As boxing purists, if we’re seeing the fights we want to see and we’re bothered about, then they can do their thing but at least if we’re getting the main fights as a boxing man. That’s what I mean. It’s bad for our sport. It’s got a few things happening to it that wasn’t happening years ago, like the YouTubers and like Floyd Mayweather fighting a mixed martial artist. What will save boxing is if these mega-fights like the two fights we’ve just mentioned take place. Nobody would be bothered about the youTube crew if boxing fans were getting the fights we really want.”
(Q): Jake Paul views himself as a boxer. Do you think he can’t call himself a boxer until he fights one? If he fought someone like Tommy Fury, do you think that’s more credible?
(RH): “Yes, absolutely. Let’s have it right, he’s a YouTuber and he’s going into boxing. I think the way he’s done it is the correct way of doing it. He is a YouTuber so you fight this guy, you fight that guy and because he’s got a few rounds under his belt now in the boxing ring and has dipped his toe in water, now is the time for him to fight a boxer.
Ultimately, Jake Paul has done more professional rounds than Tommy Fury. I think he’s gone about it in the right way. Now he’s fought a basketball player, he’s fought a UFC fighter, I get it. But now he’s reached the time that if he is going to speak of himself as a professional boxer then he needs to fight a more dangerous opponent next time.
Fair play to him. He’s a YouTuber and has gone right out of his comfort zone and into the hardest game of all – boxing. Yes he’s fought a basketball player and former UFC fighters, but why shouldn’t he? But now if he wants to refer to himself as a boxer then now is the time he’s got to fight one.”
(Q): If Jake Paul was to fight Tommy Fury, would you be backing Fury to win it?
(RH): “You’d like to think so, yes. We’re talking about Jake Paul but my advice to Tommy as a friend of the family and as someone who used to train Tommy when he first started in his career, when he does fight Jake Paul I’ll be firmly in Tommy’ corner. If that fight is going to happen and we’re saying that Jake Paul needs to fight a boxer, I also think Tommy needs more rounds.
Tommy’s not really getting the rounds and he did an exhibition last time because he came in overweight. I think Tommy needs the competitive rounds, nevermind Jake Paul. From Jake paul’s point of view, that would be more like it, fighting someone like a Tommy Fury.
I think Tommy Fury beats him all day long, as long as he gets a few more rounds in the bank. Jake Paul has done more rounds than Tommy Fury. Once Tommy has banged out a few six rounders and got a few eight rounders under his belt, then I think it’s a no-contest.
As he hasn’t done too many rounds himself, he probably hasn’t got that natural stamina. It’s not just for Tommy, it’s for Mayweather, for me – you need those rounds under your belt and so far Tommy’s not done that yet and that’s the only thing that gives Jake Paul half a chance. If Tommy got a few rounds under his belt and built that stamina up then I think it’s an easy fight for Tommy.”
(Q): Women’s boxing is booming now. What did you think of the Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano fight, fight of the year?
(RH): “Never mind one of the best fights for ladies, but one of the best fights period! It was incredible. What a flagship fight for ladies boxing. I was very fortunate to go to the Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall fight in London where it was an all-ladies bill. The standard of ladies boxing now is incredible.
They’ve come such a long way since when it started and I must admit I wasn’t a fan of ladies boxing when it first started out. I just didn’t like the ladies beating each other up with blood all over their faces, I just wasn’t a fan. But if ladies want to do boxing, just like the men and it’s a passion and dream for them, then they deserve just as much of a chance as the men to go and fulfil and go for those dreams.
Although I wasn’t a fan early on, I think ladies deserve their chance just the same as men go and reach for the stars and go and fulfil their dreams. The way ladies boxing has taken off now from a few years ago is absolutely incredible.
I actually train a lady boxer, Chloe Watson, who boxed on Saturday night (Saturday 26th November). She’s four unbeaten now and she boxed in the GB Team years ago. She won multinational titles and boxed at multi-nation tournaments, so I’ve got high hopes for Chloe. Ladies boxing now, it really is top drawer.”
(Q): One negative about boxing is PPV prices. We’ve seen it go from £20, to £25 and now £27 with Fury v Chisora 3 and Usyk v Joshua 2. Is it unaffordable now for boxing fans?
(RH): “You pay your BT or your Sky subscription fee and then they charge you to watch these fights on Box Office as well. I mean, £30? It is incredible.
When you think about the cost of living now for everybody and to keep banging the prices up at the box office, I guess it is what it is.
I was delighted that my exhibition ended up being on Sky Sports because my previous one that got postponed was going on the internet at the box office. So unless you bought a ticket for the fight, which is tough for people these days, unless you’d paid for it on box office then you wouldn’t have seen my fight with Marco Antonio Barrera.
When Sky came on board and it went on Sky Sports, fight fans could see it for free. I was absolutely delighted that happened. But yes, it seems to be going up and going up and I don’t see it changing anytime soon.”
(Q): Do you think it will get to a stage where it is just too much for boxing fans to spend on PPV?
(RH): “The promoters and TV companies aren’t daft. If they keep putting it up and the viewing figures are crap, then they’ll be going ‘hang on a minute’ and then they’ve got to look at it as a TV company. They’ll be thinking it;s great that they can charge 30 quid for the fights, but there’s no point in charging 30 quid if you’re not getting the viewers. If they don’t get the viewers then they might have to start knocking it down.
They might think they’re getting a million viewers who are paying 20 quid, rather than 150,000 that are paying £30. The TV companies will have to look into that. All it boils down to is numbers. If they keep putting the price up then the figures must be good. If they keep putting the price up and then all of a sudden they’re not hitting their desired amount of views, then they might have to do a double shuffle and start knocking it down.”
(Q): What is your opinion on the whole Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn situation and the failed Benn drugs test etc?
(RH): “It was disappointing. It was disappointing for Conor, he turned around and was as shocked as anyone when the results came through and you’ve got to take him on his word with that. I’m not exactly sure where that whole situation is with Conor and whether he’s contesting it or not, but I think boxing needs to be a little bit stricter.
The thing for fight fans is the confusion. We’re all still confused as to what’s going on. Has he actually been banned? In other sports it’s black and white. You fail a test, you get that punishment. Whereas in our sport, everyone is still scratching their heads about where we’re standing in the situation.
Conor said he’s as shocked as anybody to find that in his system and I feel sorry for him. His reputation is at stake and if he genuinely hasn’t taken anything then it is a shame.
I felt sorry for Chris Eubank Jr too who worked so hard getting all of that weight off. It was made at a catchweight so the fight could happen, he did that and then right at the last minute the fight got pulled which is heartbreaking for Chris.
We’re talking about some of the big fights that haven’t been made, well Chris Eubank Jr is in a fantastic fight now with Liam Smith. That is a great fight. Two British fighters at world level in their primes. Liam has been there, done it, worn the t-shirt, fought Canelo and has been a world champion. We’re all wondering if Chris Eubank Jr can be a world champion. He’s had one fight that has sadly fallen through for him through no fault of his own, but the sun must have been shining down on him for this fight when it was made. It’s a belter this fight, a really, really good fight.”
(P): Who do you think wins Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith in January?
(RH): “I think it is a 50/50. I wouldn’t say Liam has miles on the clock but he’s been there, bought the t-shirt whereas it seems like Chris Eubank Jr has been around forever.
If you look at Liam and you look at Chris, you’d say that Chris is the fresher. Maybe that’s why some people would lean towards Chris a little bit but I think Liam is very good. He could maybe out-think him and out-school him.
We never like to sit on the fence do we but I do think that is a genuine 50/50 fight. Anyone who is edging one way or another is just by such a small margin. That’s what makes it such a good fight .Sometimes a fight is made and you already know who the winner will be before the bell has rung but as fight fans when one like this comes up we go ‘Ohhhh, I don’t know about this one’ and that’s what makes it such a great fight.”
(P): Looking at the British boxing landscape now, who do you see as some of the biggest prospects in Britain right now? Who should we watch out for?
(RH): “There’s Adam Azim who boxed last weekend. I think he’s 6-0 now and he looks a real prospect. Then you’ve got Dalton Smith who is a very good prospect. Frazer Clarke is probably the next heavyweight prospect coming through. We talk about Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and it’s nice to see we have this conveyor belt of heavyweight fighters. You’ve got Daniel Dubois who is knocking on the door of a world title now but Frazer Clarke is a real prospect.
Then you’ve got another one, he’s from Liverpool and he’s called Nick Ball. I like him, I really like him. He goes for the knockout every time and is very explosive. He’s a nice kid too. He’s been down at my gym sparring actually.
Every second he’s in there he’s going for the knockout, he’s very explosive and he’s great to watch. I think he’s going to be a really good prospect. He’s knocking on the door now of a world title shot of sorts but I think we’ll still class him as a prospect. He could be the next one.”
(P): A featherweight domestically of course you’ve got Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington, they could be big fights for Nick Ball next year.
(RH): “He’s not far off that now. We’re talking about him as a prospect but he’s nearly there. There are some great fights for him domestically to be had for him. His style is brilliant, he has a great style.”
(Q): Who could be the next heavyweight champion from Britain?
(RH): “I think Frazer Clark has the capabilities, he’s got the pedigree. He’s only had four fights so far so there are a few boxes he’s got to tick just like we all had to do coming through. He’ll need to test his heart, his chin, his stamina, his boxing brain but I think Frazer Clarke has got a fantastic chance.
I think Joe Joyce deserves his shot now too. I think Joe Joyce beats Usyk. He’s got the style to swarm him. He’s got the height, the reach so I think he’s got a chance of beating Usyk.
Needless to say, Daniel Dubois has a great chance. I think it’s nice that we’ve got the conveyor belt coming after Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. These are the ones to take their place at world level.
Joe Joyce is capable of becoming a world champion, Daniel Dubois is capable of becoming a world champion, Frazer Clarke is capable of becoming a world champion but just needs time.
It’s an exciting time. For years America had all the champions and all the belts but now Great Britain seems to be making a good stand on the world stage. AJ, Tyson Fury, Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois, Frazer Clarke – it’s great to see.”
(Q): You said if the offer was right you’d consider another exhibition. Floyd Mayweather is doing them too, surely an exhibition with Mayweather whets the appetite?
(RH): “I’d most definitely look at it. One thing I did find hard was going into training camp at 44-years-old with the stress and strain on the body, it’s tough. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how old we get, we’re not dead. We’ve still got goals to strive for, targets to set in our lives.
For Floyd Mayweather, who is arguably the greatest of all time, to share the ring with Floyd again would be a dream. I’d definitely look at it and weigh it up. Floyd has still been having a few fights and wouldn’t mind doing an exhibition so I’d definitely look at it.
Anything like that really. To do it against Marco Antonio Barrera who is a legend and who is a big name, Floyd Mayweather who is a legend and a big name, but I wouldn’t be arsed fighting a YouTuber.
If I’m going to do an exhibition and do a training camp, then I want to do it with a Marco Antonio Barrera, a Miguel Cotto, a Floyd Mayweather or someone like that because I’m getting something from it.
I’m very fortunate that I’ve looked after my money. So I don’t need to do it for the money, it’s got to be something that gets my juices flowing. Something that’s going to get me going ‘Oh year, I can’t wait to get in the ring with him again’.
But if they said ‘would you like to fight someone you don’t know?’, I’d say ‘well, no!’ [Ricky laughs]. What’s the point? Never heard of you so no! But if it’s someone like Floyd Mayweather then I’d certainly look at it, of course.”
(Q): Are England going to win the World Cup?
(RH): “We’ve been saying that for goodness knows how many years now, haven’t we? It seems weird watching the World Cup. We’re half way through the Premier League season and it’s over in Qatar which a lot of people haven’t been happy about.
But when you think about it, Argentina got beat the other day, Germany got beat the other day too, so of course we’ve got a chance! With the group of players we’ve got and the team we’ve got.
I think this World Cup is as wide open as it’s been for a number of years. Maybe I’d put my money on Brazil. But a lot of the big teams have already been beaten in the World Cup so far, so I think we’ve got a great chance.
Whether we do, I’m not so sure. If you said to me I had my last pound on someone, it obviously wouldn’t be England. But have we got a chance? Yes, I think we’ve got a great chance!”
