Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

What's your role at Euro 2008?
I'll be reporting for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television and Radio 5 Live.
Based in Austria, I'll be making features for various television programmes (live/highlights shows, Football Focus, online), interviewing managers and players after games, reporting on stories for 5 Live and writing a blog for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport website. We'll be trying to take people's minds off the fact that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Nations aren't there by, er, doing features on the teams that beat them to it! So we might have our work cut out....

Favourite team?
I can't say which team I support as I'll get lynched next time I commentate on them! Suffice to say I love my home-town club. Have I got away with that?

Favourite player?
Favourite player (not to play for my team) would have to be of Fulham. I love the way he plays with a smile on his face - plus he's a fine footballer and has done incredibly well to come back from that horrific knee injury.

Ideal sporting dinner guest?
. A really nice man who's done wonders for football in this country. He must have some great stories to tell that he'd never reveal in public.

Best bit of advice you've received?
Go to the toilet before climbing up onto the gantry at Birmingham City. They take the ladder away before kick-off and don't put it back until after the match has finished!

Tell us something the public might not know about you...
My cousin used to be a South Africa cricket selector. His brother is a rally driver who once won the - one of the toughest off-road races in the world. My mum's family in South Africa are all mad about sport, but I'm the only one over here!

Disappointed the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Nations didn't make it?
Absolutely gutted. When England failed to qualify I thought how different things would be this summer. There'd be no mass hysteria over a Wayne Rooney knock in the last game of the season. No "would Gareth Barry be starting every match if he was at a top-four club?" No "who's going to be the surprise pick for the squad?" No sea of St George flags flying out of cars in the sunshine. But looking on the bright side, no losing to Portugal on penalties in the quarter-finals. It would have been great, though, to have had one of the other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Nations there. The , for example, would have added so much colour. Such a shame, but we'll have to work a little harder out there to make sure we find other stories to add to the coverage.

Will there be another surprise winner?
I think it'll be won by one of the nations that already knows how to win major tournaments. Italy and Germany spring to mind. in particular have that mental strength to find a result even when they're not in great form.

Which player will take the tournament by storm?
of Holland. He could score a lot of goals and follow it up with a move from Ajax to the Premier League.

Finally, how many goals will be scored at Euro 2008?
78.