Gianfranco Zola
You were signed to Napoli by Luciano Moggi – the man at the centre of Italy’s match-fixing allegations. Did he do offer you anything to sweeten the deal? A lorry load of wine, perhaps?
Steve Pepper, Southampton
I don’t think he needed to sweeten the deal in any way. In fact, I should have given him a lorry load of wine! He took me to Serie A when I was playing in a Third Division club, to Napoli where he gave me the chance of playing alongside Maradona. Imagine that! Seriously though, the scandal was incredibly damage for Italian football. We’ve lost our credibility and our reputation is damaged. When something like this happens, it’s hard to move on just like that, there’s always going to be a scar left and so far I think Italian football has yet to recover.
What did you learn from Maradona on and off the pitch? What’s your funniest story about him?
Graham Rossi, Essex
I was very lucky to be his team-mate and get to play with him as well as watch him train every day. The things he did! He was and will always be unique. Off the pitch, I always liked his simplicity. He was Maradona, yet with the team, he seemed just like an ordinary lad like the rest of us. He didn’t behave at all like a football star. As for the story, there are many that come to mind [giggles], but there’s one in particular that always makes me laugh. One day when we played against Pisa in the Italian Cup, he made me play in the number 10 jersey and picked the number 9 for himself. For me it was the most beautiful thing I could ever imagine; Maradona letting me play in the number 10. Imagine my confidence, but especially my shock!
You used to have wrong-footed penalties competitions with Maradona at Napoli. Who won the most? How did he react when you won?
Angus Dunne, Blackpool
(Long silence) Well, I know I agreed answer your readers’ questions but this one I just can’t answer… otherwise, Diego will be angry! [Laughs] All I can say is that he didn’t enjoy it when he lost, even though he was very strong with his right foot.
Given your height did you ever contemplate becoming a jockey like your fellow countryman Frankie Dettori?
Chris Benson, Bristol
(Laughs). Well, you know, actually not, because I’ve never had much contact with horses, so I’ve never really had the opportunity to think about it!
Is it true that you took Asprilla fishing when he was your team-mate at Parma?
Fabio Fuentes, Maracaibo, Venezuela
It’s true. I did take him fishing once. But only once because of how he behaved! He broke all my fishing rods and made a big mess in my boat. One time was more than enough, even if he was a big fan of fishing.
As the previous holder of Serie A’s free-kick scoring record, who is better: you or Beckham? Or is there someone else?
Brad Reilly, London
Oh God! This one is difficult. I think I was better from close-range free-kicks and he was better from long-range free-kicks. But there was one that was probably better than both of us, Sinisa Mihajlovic. He would just rack up goals from everywhere: short or long distances, he was equally lethal.
You won the Football of the Year Award after your first year at Chelsea. Did you find playing football in England easier after facing those tight Italian defences?
Adam Calvery, Detroit
I think at the beginning, the ‘open’ English football really helped me, as I was coming from tighter marking in Serie A. It was like a relief, in a sense, as the defences were not as rigid as they were in Italy. It was an advantage, but mind you, now the reality has changed also in England, I don’t think there is so much freedom and space for strikers anymore.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink always looked so annoyed if you didn’t pass to him. Was he still annoyed when you got into the dressing room? Did he ever turn violent?
Peter Handle, Leicester
Well, on the pitch Hasselbaink always looked annoyed with everybody. He was always like that, always breaking our balls a bit and nagging. But in the dressing room he wasn’t allowed to behave like that, otherwise I would have smashed him in the face! No, really, he was a player that always gave the maximum so he always expected the maximum from his team-mates.
There’s a great picture of you dressed as Robin Hood when you were at Chelsea. What made you pose for it? Do today’s players take themselves too seriously?
Sid Lemon, Middlesbrough
[Laughing] Oh, why, why? Well, firstly I accepted because it was a charity event and also because it was a very funny thing to do. We had decided with Parma to do this initiative in which we dressed as different characters and it was nice. Times have changed, but I don’t know if footballers take themselves too seriously now. It’s probably not for me to say.
You received an honorary OBE in 2004. What did you make of it? Did you get to meet the Queen?
Richard Mackay, Bolton
I never got to meet her, but it was incredible. I didn’t expect such recognition in a million years. I received the prize in Rome from Britain’s ambassador and it was a complete surprise. If you asked me why, I don’t know! I guess they thought my behaviour on and off the pitch made me a positive role model.
Who’s the toughest defender you’ve played against?
David Tanner, Gillingham
It’s a 50-50 between Baresi and Vierchowood. After a game against both, your feet need loads of ice and anti-inflamatories.
How envious are you that you didn’t get to play in the Abramovich era?
Gordon Mantle, Weymouth
Envious? No, not at all. I’m always happy about what I did and I don’t have regrets in my career. My years at Chelsea were very important for me, and even if I didn’t win the Premiership, we had great results and I’m very happy about that part of my life.
You’ve had a great career, won a number of trophies and played with some top players. So why haven’t you written a book yet? What do you think of players releasing books while they’re playing?
Martin Tucker, Boston
I guess I haven’t released an autobiography because I like to give my best in everything I do. When I was a player I never felt the real motivation to write a book, let alone a controversial book or a thin book full of press speculations, just for the sake of selling copies. I’m not ruling out the possibility of writing my autobiography in the future, but if I ever do, I’d like to publish one that sends a message to the young players, one that clearly states the things that I’ve learned and could help young footballers to grow up.