Tony Woodcock played 42 times for England between 1978 and 1986, scoring 16 goals. After winning the European Cup with Nottingham Forest, he became one of English football's most successful exports, playing for Cologne in two spells and settling in Germany after his retirement. Now 48, he has recently returned to live in England where he runs a sport and media business with his former Forest team-mate Viv Anderson.

THEN
When you went to Germany in 1979, were there major differences with the English game?

Woodcock: The preparation and professionalism was on a different level. I arrived at Cologne to be handed a training schedule two weeks in advance with every detail on it. Punctuality counted for a lot, you just couldn't be five minutes late for anything. The emphasis was on organisation and hard work. They took football very seriously.

NOW
Would the modern Champions League have been too tough for your Nottingham Forest side that wonthe European Cup in 1979?

Players from the past would have made great players today. We had Peter Shilton, Trevor Francis, John Robertson and people like that. You have to remember in those days you had to win the championship to even qualify for the European Cup. And it was all two-legged knockout as well, so you couldn't afford to have one really bad result. Juventus reached the final last year after losing 3-0 to Manchester United in the group stage.

THEN
What do you remember about your international debut?

I was doing pretty well at Nottingham Forest but when I finally got my debut against Northern Ireland in 1978, I remember thinking 'I can't blow this'. I was carrying a bit of an injury but in those days you had to perform no matter what. So I ran out alongside Stuart Pearson with a bad leg - luckily we won 1-0.

NOW
Which English team has the best chance of winning the Champions League?

 

All three of them could win it. Manchester United have the experience, Arsenal have escaped from their group and that will spur them on. Chelsea are going great guns, they seem to have got their players showing the right mentality. It is no use having star names moaning or complaining if they are left out for certain matches.

You need everyone in it together to try and win two or three trophies and Chelsea are getting that habit. When I was at Highbury, people would joke about 'boring 1-0 Arsenal' which was a throwback to the Double team. These days, playing for a top club like Arsenal or Chelsea in one of the world's great cities must be attractive to any player.

THEN
You moved back from Germany to Arsenal in 1982. Why?

The world is a much smaller place today than it was then. Playing in Germany, you felt people thought you might as well be on a different planet and I was worried that I would miss out on a good international career unless I came back to England.

At the time, Juventus and Torino were interested in signing me and I could have moved to Manchester United or Liverpool. But I chose Arsenal, I was excited by the club's plans to rebuild and I have to admit living in London was a factor as well. I loved the city and still do

NOW
English teams won the European Cup six seasons in a row between 1977 and 1982. Is it time for another glory period for our clubs?

It's possible. Everyone was raving about the Italian clubs at the start of this season after AC Milan and Juventus had played in the final. But their teams have struggled in the group stages; Lazio and Inter Milan haven't made it while all three English clubs have topped their groups. That is a big compliment to the Premiership

THEN
How do you look back on your England career?

Things didn't work out quite as well as I had hoped in the big tournaments. In 1982, I was part of the squad which was knocked out even though we were unbeaten. The format wasn't that good - with groups of three teams. When I played for Arsenal, I was an England regular which is what I wanted but the long-term plan went a little bit wrong because we failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championship.

 

NOW
English teams could draw Bayern Munich or Stuttgart in the Champions League on Friday. Would that be good?

Bayern are not firing at the moment but it would be very dangerous for any team to say 'we would like to draw a German club'. German teams have such resilience and they are so good in competitive environments.

Bayern have scraped through really but when they do get their act together, they will be a very good side with players like Oliver Kahn, Roy Makaay and Michael Ballack.

Stuttgart looked a little overwhelmed at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. They will have been delighted just to get through the group and that could make them very dangerous now - not as much pressure on them. Let's face it though, in the last 16 of the Champions League you're not going to have any walkovers. All the teams are at a very close level.

THEN
You went back to Germany in 1986 and settled there. How did that happen?

I played for another four years with Cologne and things cropped up after I finished retired. I became a manager and then got into business. A company called Octagon bought Eintracht Frankfurt and asked me to run the club for a season. But after that finished, I wanted to come back to England. I would like to think I could settle in most places, and one month became a year and all of a sudden I was settled. Back in 1979, it was 'Good God, all the way to Germany'. But flights are so regular now, Europe is a much smaller place altogether.

NOW
What are you doing back in England?

After the Eintracht thing finished, I wanted to come back. And for the last six months, I have been back based in London even though I still travel to Germany a lot for business. I love London, there is always something happening; I know people complain about the parking and things like that but I love the buzz of the city. I have a number of business interests and work with Viv Anderson in the sport and television market.

THEN
What did Brian Clough think of you going to Germany back in 1979?

He could have stopped the whole thing by offering me the contract I wanted at Forest to begin with. I wanted a particular deal, he said Forest weren't paying that. By the time he said we agree with what you want, I had already given my word to Cologne that I was signing for them. I wanted something different and long-term it was the right thing to do.

When you go to somewhere like Germany, you are the first one to take stick when things go wrong because you are the foreigner. It builds your character and your experience.

NOW
Who holds the key to England's prospects at Euro 2004?

Well, I hope the team can win it and don't see why not. The dividing line at these big tournaments is so small; it is a case of hitting your peak at the right time. England are on a roll and I think David Beckham is in the form of his life.

In my view, he has come on fantastically as a player even in the last year. People doubted he would do that well in Spain but he has proved he is better than everyone thought and has a maturity about him. Other countries must envy England having him as captain.

Tony Woodcock was talking to Joe Bernstein