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Wales was an interesting on-the-road programme last week. I always enjoy the element of unpredictability in live television and the on the banks of The Taff was packed with rowdy punters getting ready to make the short stroll to the .

I had been in Wales since Thursday filming bits and pieces for the programme.

Regular readers of this blog will know that there is a crazy Welsh producer called Dave Purchase and we went up a mini-mountain to film our opening for Saturday.

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Greetings and salutations! Sorry there was no blog last week. I have been inundated (one email) with questions about my absence but the simple reason was a family holiday in the Kent countryside.

When you go on a break with three small children, being away from home is not too dissimilar to normal life. In fact the only difference seems to be the number of times you go swimming in the space of five days!

Having put the Speedos back in the drawer, I am now back in the office and getting ready for our first on-the-road programme for a while. The whole of Football Focus comes live from Cardiff on Saturday as we build up to the at the .

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I received the following tweet on Saturday: "My gran has just asked why Football Focus are interested in what thinks."

hat and beard combination was obviously enough of a disguise to confuse a few viewers but the interview with the legend and now director of football at caused plenty of interest and controversy nonetheless.

The crashed during the show and by the end of Saturday our Cantona piece was the ninth most tweeted video in the world!

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On Football Focus this weekend, you might be aware that we have an exclusive interview with Eric Cantona, a man never short of opinions.

As well as talking about , the mercurial Frenchman speaks openly about the moment that, for many, will be the defining moment of his career.

The he aimed at a Crystal Palace fan during a Premier League match in 1995 was rightly condemned and landed Cantona with a £20,000 fine and a lengthy ban.

When he first mentioned it as the "highlight" of his career, I thought he was joking because there was a smile on his face, but as he continued he said that he did it for "the people".

On the rare occasions that he has spoken over the years, Cantona has always said that he isn't, and doesn't want to be, a role model. He'd even go as far as blaming the media for making him into a hero.

But what is certain, is that when Cantona talks, people listen and however he presents his opinions they are sure to make headlines.

In a week when player behaviour is under scrutiny once again, it's interesting to hear Cantona's unique perspective on those events at Selhurst Park 16 years on.

The extended 10-minute interview can be seen in on Saturday from 1215 on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One, and whatever you think of the man himself, it's well worth a watch.

It was great to get Rafael Benitez on the Football Focus sofa on Saturday. Plenty of you seemed to be interested in what the former Liverpool and Inter Milan manager had to say. I thought he came across very well. His "short blanket" analogy was particularly popular with viewers. I think the gist of it was that a really good side will always find a way to expose you even if you attack or defend as a unit.

Rafa had come prepared for a game of chess before we went to air but I was otherwise occupied with rehearsals - thankfully. The truth is, I did not want to be embarrassed again. My chess skills need some serious work before I expose them in public once again. Last time out, Rafa removed my queen within the first 10 moves!

Talking of royalty, I was invited to St James's Palace this week to make an "inspirational" speech to a group of people who had earned the gold standard on the . The man himself also turned up to shake some hands.

I decided to talk to the gathered throng about my three sporting heroes - , and Eric Liddell.

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