Premier kick-off at back of our minds

When we met up yesterday it was a little like the first day of a new term at school. Mr Eriksson likes to keep the preparation short before friendlies but there is much to talk about such as new players at the various clubs, how hard the training has been, that sort of thing.

Obviously it's been an important summer for me, with my move from Aston Villa to Middlesbrough.

I suppose, if things had turned out differently, I could well have ended up in London since I heard that both Tottenham and West Ham were interested but, in the end, I went further north than the Midlands.

People have since queried the move, saying that I had gone on record as saying that I wanted to play in the Champions League.

That's a fair point but circumstances dictated otherwise.

A year ago there was a good chance of me going to Chelsea but the move broke down because of the price Villa set.

That £7 million fee also dissuaded other clubs but Steve McClaren, when he went to Middlesbrough, was persistent in agreeing to match the asking price.

He wanted me to join him, not just as a player but an important part of the club as a whole and that appealed to me. I had stopped learning at Villa and although it may sound strange for a player who is nearly 31, you can never stop learning in this game.

I haven't regretted the move for a second. It's an exciting time to be at the club and it's an opportunity to work under a manager who, rather than sit in his office, is keen to retain his influence out on the training pitch.

Meanwhile, I'm obviously hoping I figure in at least part of the action tomorrow and the likelihood is that there will be many changes.

We didn't do a great deal yesterday because none of the Liverpool or Manchester United players who played in the Charity Shield joined in.

Mr Eriksson had a few words with us and emphasised that we have to focus on tomorrow's match. Obviously Germany is more important but he wants the right result tomorrow - he wants to keep the winning habit, as we do.

It won't be easy because Holland are obviously a high-class side but make no mistake, there's nothing like keeping that winning run going to breed confidence.

Owen Hargreaves looks certain to play at some stage. He has settled in fine and you can see, with the German Bundesliga season already under way, that he is a bit ahead of us in terms of match fitness.

Whatever tomorrow's result though, let's hope that everyone stays fit and well, for the sake of the club managers' blood pressures.