If England call, I will answer

Our general performance in our 4-0 second leg victory over AC Milan last Wednesday was excellent - probably the best we have played in Europe this season.

Before the game we were aware it could be a difficult night for us because Milan have great players and if they had scored an early goal it could have been nervy for us. To beat a great club like Milan 7-2 on aggregate is no mean feat. I would describe our performance as cohesive; we got the balance between defence and attack just right.

The early goal from Wayne Rooney settled us down, and the work of Darren Fletcher, Ji-Sung Park and Paul Scholes in midfield was fantastic, while Antonio Valencia and Nani were dangerous on the wings. We prevented the Milan players from finding any rhythm in midfield and that gave us the platform to attack. It was comfortable in the end but you never believe that when you're out on the pitch.

Rooney continued his prolific form by grabbing another two goals on Wednesday and he is capable of scoring 12 more goals this season to equal Cristiano Ronaldo's tally of 42 goals for us in the 2007/2008 season.

He has been outstanding this season, not just in scoring goals but also in his general play. It is a tough ask to score 42 goals but it is something he is capable of doing. At the moment he has a great reputation and anyone who plays against him recognises his quality. He is one of the in-form strikers in Europe and up there with the best at the moment.

When David Beckham came on for Milan in the second half he put in two or three great crosses and had a great shot as well. I was surprised he wasn't playing from the start given his experience of playing at Old Trafford. AC Milan played Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Marco Borriello up front and they would have been serviced well by Beckham's crosses. But they decided to go the way they did and we were quite happy to see him not playing because his deliveries from crosses are fantastic.

Over the past five years I would say that English and Spanish football have been stronger than Italian football, but these things go in cycles. AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan are massive clubs with great European history. Italian football is still very strong and shouldn't be dismissed. The Italian clubs have always been competitive in European competitions.

There will be another Premier League-Serie A clash next week between Inter Milan and Chelsea and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top because it is a perfectly poised game. Inter are 2-1 up going to Chelsea and both teams will be confident they can progress. It's a real 50-50 game and the result will depend on whoever plays well on the night. Inter have a lot of experience but so have Chelsea, and Chelsea are very strong at home.

I was a little surprised that Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League by Lyon. If you had asked me before the game who would go through I would have said Real. But that is what European football is all about, every match is difficult. Lyon are a very good side and have been for many years. If you don't play well and you're not at your best, and sometimes even when you are at your best, teams in Europe can knock you out - there are no easy games.

We have been knocked out over the past 10 years or so by Porto, Monaco, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Leverkusen. They are all teams you would expect us to overcome but it proved not to be the case. Upsets happen year in year out in the Champions League.

It's too early to say at this stage which team looks most likely to win the competition. Barcelona have been one of the strongest over the past few years and they are the reigning champions. Bayern Munich are a huge club and they look stronger this season and have plenty of quality, particularly up front. Whoever wins out of Inter Milan and Chelsea will be hard to beat, and Arsenal are dangerous opponents. You could argue that all eight teams in the quarter-finals will be capable of winning it.

World Cup and the season after

Lots of people have been asking about the possibility of me making England's World Cup squad but it is not something I'm really thinking about. I'm just concentrating on playing as many games I can for United and if that brings a call-up for England then I would take it.

I've always said I wouldn't retire from international football and I would always be available to play. But I have not been in the squad for about 10 months so it's not something I'm expecting, it is in the hands of other people rather than me. Firstly, I need to stay fit until the end of the season and play games.

In the past couple of weeks I have felt a lot stronger. Staying fit and playing games for a period of time helps me to feel that way. I was pleased to be part of the team against Milan on Wednesday but in football you play one good game and the next week it can all change.

I'm too long in the tooth to get carried away by one match or a series of matches over two or three weeks. It is not until the end of the season that you can look back and say whether it has been a good season individually and collectively for the team.

Another thing people keep asking me about is whether I will still be playing for United next season, but I can't answer that question yet. It is not a case of me being tight-lipped. The manager and I decided that it is best to wait until the end of the season and look at the situation then.

Distractions can be caused by contract talks during a season, it has happened many times over the years and that is not something I want to be involved in. I just want to concentrate on playing, staying fit and being part of the team. There will be nothing to report until I have spoken with the manager at the end of the season.

Over to you

Do you feel that a salary cap introduced by Uefa could in the long run prevent clubs going into administration, or at least be a major factor? George Attard

You can't cap people's wages - you can set a minimum wage but I don't think you can set a maximum wage. Wages and transfer fees are dictated by the money clubs have.

No one wants to see football clubs go out of business because they are institutions and they have famous followings locally and internationally, but club chairmen can set their own salary caps if they want. They are businessmen; they know the money they have available to spend.

If you look at tennis, golf, American football or baseball, huge wages are paid to the players but no one says anything. Yet footballers get pilloried for some reason.

Send your questions to Gary Neville to sunday@timesofmalta.com.