What do you make of your first six weeks at The FA?

It's gone very quickly! There are so many people to meet both inside and outside the organisation - and all of them expect you to be up to speed on their particular issues immediately. You could say that there's been no time to settle on the ball. Everyone I have met so far seems hard working, enthusiastic and determined to do what's right for the game. That's a very healthy starting point.

So, how would you describe yourself?

Well, I like things done properly, to be thought through and to be delivered professionally. I can be a detail man if it's needed but I also like to think I have the ability to see the broader picture. You should always have respect for other people's perspective but ultimately take a view and make a decision. I do work hard but I also like to relax and spend time with my family.

Until recently I enjoyed turning out for my local Sunday league team, Pioneer FC, in Buckinghamshire. The boots are not quite hung up just yet but I don't play as often as I used to.

You have come back into the football industry at a turbulent time for the game - what's your perspective on what's happened in recent years?

Learning from past experiences is crucial and I suspect that everyone in the game will have learned something from the past few years. Sudden wealth can be dangerous in many walks of life and football is no different. There's no doubt that some clubs were living beyond their means and when there's a sudden change in circumstances - the ITV Digital collapse or relegation from the Premier League for example - the financial pressures become very severe indeed.

Football is now a complex and pressurised business so there will be disagreements and difficulties sometimes. Strong relationships take time to build but they can solve problems. I intend to ensure that The FA's relationships at home and overseas continue to improve so that so-called politics is less of an issue in our daily lives.

There's been a lot said about Club v Country in recent years and some speculation on Sven's future - what's your view?

Club v Country pressure is nothing new. Minutes from FA Council meetings over 100 years ago describe very similar debates to those we face today! The debate is inevitable: our clubs invest huge sums of money buying, paying and developing players and understandably they want to protect their investment. On the other hand, footballers will always want to play at the highest possible level of football. Despite the huge success of the Premier League and the Champions League, the biggest stage is still international football.

Good performances on the international stage also enhance the transfer and overall commercial value of players, which means the clubs benefit from their players playing for their country. The key to this issue is communication, trust and respect for each other's position - in other words, good relationships. From what I've seen so far, I am sure that we can make this work for all sides.

Sven has made his position clear several times. He is happy being England coach. He is enjoying the role and he is getting good results. I fully expect Sven to continue to lead England.

In just over two years from now, England's home matches will be back at Wembley. Will all the time and energy it took to get the project underway have been worth it?

Yes! Wembley will be the world's best stadium. I have no doubt about that. Clearly, there's still a long way to go and I am sure we will face one or two more challenges along the way. However, construction is currently on schedule, our hospitality programme is proving popular and people are getting more and more excited at the prospect of our big matches, such as England internationals and The FA Cup Final, being back at Wembley in front of 90,000 people. The model is for Wembley to generate a profit for The FA to reinvest in football at every level.

England-on-the-Road has been a great success. Will there be room for England to play any matches at Club venues?

The England teams at every level have played in front of magnificent crowds at club grounds in the past few years. The demand for tickets for Senior England matches has outstripped supply every time. The tickets for tonight's match sold out in just over two hours.

We have tried to play England matches in as many different venues as possible and I really hope that the new generation of England fans will continue to support the team when they go back to Wembley. In order to pay for the stadium we will play all senior team matches there, but we will still be able to play many of our other matches at venues around the country.

What are your expectations for the new season?

Football finances are getting back in shape, with Premier League turnovers up and wage/turnover ratios down to their lowest levels for more than five years in the Football League. Spectator and participation levels also look set to continue to rise and there's great support from the broadcasters and the media, not to mention commercial sponsors. The women's game continues to grow at a senior level and football is now the most popular sport in the country for girls. So, all in all, we are in better shape than 12-18 months ago. The trick now is not to be complacent or ignore the problems that remain.

England are in a great position to qualify for another major championship. How worried are you by the behaviour of some England supporters?

In the last three matches the behaviour of our fans was impeccable. I would like to thank everyone for getting behind our anti-racism and anti-violence messages and realising the potentially serious consequences of a repeat of the problems we saw at Sunderland. There's no place for racism or violence at football matches and we will continue to do all we can to rid the game of what I consider a cancer. To support this process, I would urge all England supporters not to travel to Macedonia or Turkey. Let's do all we can to avoid any trouble at these matches by staying away and watching the matches on TV.

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