Renato Augusto. Kerlon. Pastore. Marcelo (not the Real Madrid RB, but the 500k re-gen from Brazil who won the Golden Boy award, Ballon d’Or, and took my Spurs save from mid-table mediocrity to back-to-back UCL winners).

The Bournemouth FM13 save, where we climbed the ladder all the way to European glory and firmly cemented ourselves as one of the new ‘top 4’. But, sorry to say, it wasn’t a happy ending for the Cherries and me. After finding out that their new stadium wasn’t going to be named ‘The Thom Rogez Stadium’, I left for Premier League rivals Spurs, with the sole intention of ensuring Bournemouth never won England’s top prize.

And the all-nighters at uni with a pen, notepad and flatmates, where we’d spend hours writing our starting 11, formations, tactics, and transfer targets — comparing notes and giving advice before going back to our rooms and completing another season.

So, yeah — to quote Mark Goldbridge quoting Graeme Souness, ‘I’ve played the game.’

It’s that passion, that glory, that heartbreak, frustration, and absolute euphoria of watching your wonderkids bloom into world beaters. That’s why Football Manager. And using my craft every day to make other players feel those very same emotions… I couldn’t think of anything better. Pretty much my dream job. Other than being Man United’s actual manager, of course.