“My dad had a soccer school that he used to run, the Mark Chamberlain S...” — Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Quote

My dad had a soccer school that he used to run, the Mark Chamberlain Soccer Academy, I used to go to that for two years until the age of seven.

Obviously, the big teams create the bigger atmosphere around the stadiums.

People at school used to assume I was going to be a footballer, and it wasn't until I got to 16, when I was at Southampton, that I had a doubt for the first time in my life. Southampton said I wasn't big enough, but it was just because I hadn't grown. Simple as that.

In my head, I was like any young kid: 'I'm going to be a footballer.' But at the same time, my mum and dad were making me do my schoolwork, and that was important.

When I was at high school, I thought it'd be nice to go into Air Force Academy and fly jets, but that was a very brief dream. Ha, ha. I'm too lanky to fit in the cockpit.

I'm grateful to the state and central government for all their support for my academy.

I think City is a really good example of how you shift the culture internally. We've had a big culture shift, particularly in the academy. Young boys are now more comfortable with strong female athletes being around.

In the evening, since I have a lot of friends in theater, we might take in a Deaf West production in North Hollywood, or, since I'm a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, they have screenings that are really great.