An email conversation with Peter Marinello: 'On my day I would like to say I was as good as Ryan Giggs'

Do you regret turning down Stanley Matthews when he tried to sign you from Hibernian when he was manager of Port Vale? In hindsight, yes. I could have learnt a lot from him, as he was also a winger. I was too young to know at the time what an opportunity this would be.

Was it a burden to be compared to George Best when you joined Arsenal? I was chuffed, but this made the expectation high and, in retrospect, I needed time to settle into the English game. Arsenal stressed they'd bought me for the future but the media attention meant I wasn't given the time to establish myself.

At 19, were you ready for the expectation that accompanied that big-money move to Arsenal? Not really. I should have stayed in Scotland and gained more experience there, but I was headstrong. The game was different in England, much more defensive. I was used to an attacking style of play with Hibs.

Is diving a new phenomenon or did it happen in your day? Yes, it happened in my day. There was a player called Eric Stevenson who used to get six or eight penalties a season. We nicknamed him "Brian Phelps" - he won a medal for the Olympic diving team.

Was drinking almost encouraged during your playing days? It was never discouraged. The coach left it up to the lads but there was a drinking culture and we all went along with it. In Scotland we used to say, "Win or lose, have some booze". The lads at Arsenal liked a drink, but this was accepted and they played hard, too.

You must have had some good nights out - do any stand out? There were too many! We always used to have a good night after a midweek game and everyone was in a better mood if we won. There were lots of good times; they all blur into one.

Tell us about your kidnapping on Hibernian's tour of Africa. It happened in Ghana after a match against a team from a Russian submarine. We were at a peninsula and were messing around with some canoes near the shore. Some guys came out of a clearing and accused us of damaging their boats, which I'm sure we didn't do. All the other lads ran off but one of the guys grabbed me. Our tour guide came back and the men demanded money, which he gave over. It was quite scary when I look back, but at first I thought it was a joke. One of the Arsenal guys recorded it on film.

Who would you compare yourself to in today's Premiership? Wingers are always inconsistent, but on my day I would like to say I was as good as Ryan Giggs. I should have been more selfish and not passed before I scored.

How close were you to playing for Scotland? I played for Scotland at Under-23 level and Tommy Docherty picked me a couple of times for his squad, but I always stayed on the bench.

Did Hibs sell you to Arsenal because of your drinking? The manager did think that I was getting a wee bit out of control, and they'd been offered a good fee. As far as I know the chairman didn't want to sell me, but the manager seemed to want it.

How did your Arsenal debut, against Manchester United, go? Good. I thought I had a decent game, and I scored our goal. I enjoyed playing at Old Trafford. George Best was suspended but there was still a massive crowd. The pace was much quicker from what I was used to in Scotland.

What went wrong at Arsenal? Lots of things. I didn't really conform to the pattern of their game. That was difficult. I got frustrated as I seemed to be left out of every big game. I should have been patient. I was quite headstrong. I look back and wish I'd stayed, but I was chasing the money.

Do young players today receive enough guidance about how to cope with the fame and fortune of making it as a footballer? Yes. I think they're well groomed by the manager and the clubs keep an eye on young players much more than they did in my day. We were left to our own devices, which is where a lot of the trouble began. I think they've realised what has happened to players in the past and now they keep young players much busier. They split up training so they're occupied for most of the day - they don't have time to go to the bookies in the afternoon. The rewards are much higher these days so young players have got more to lose.

How did your Top of the Pops appearance come about? I'd always been a big fan. I should have been presenting a disc to Sandie Shaw but she was too shy and didn't want publicity with a footballer, so they had to improvise with the girl with the eyelashes!

What was the footballing highlight of your career? There were lots with Arsenal: scoring my first goal, at Old Trafford; the Fairs Cup win; and the Double victory. Getting into the Hibs first team for the first time was also a great moment.

And the lowlight? One was not getting to play in the Cup final with Arsenal. I think for every player the worst moment is when you get a free transfer in your thirties and you know it's the end of your career. When I was given one after playing for Hearts I still felt like I had some games in me.

Your son became a heroin addict. Do you blame yourself? I've got to take some blame. I was a bit easy-going and I didn't realise that one thing can lead to another. I guess I gave him too much of a free rein.

After playing in Scotland and England you went to play in Australia and America. What was the standard like? The standard in the US was good. It was an indoor game - you tended to go on the pitch for two minutes or so. There were a lot of good South American and Yugoslav players who specialised in this, though it took the European players about half a season to adjust. The Australian game was probably about the standard of the first or second division here.

You've had some rough luck with business ventures. What was the worst? The lot of them! Footballers have their brains in their feet. I'd steer clear of business. In football everything was built on trust, so this was what I was used to.

How can someone go from signing for Arsenal for £100,000 to being arrested for attempted murder? Until I wrote the book I never really thought about it, I just lived each day as it came. By the time the arrest happened the football had gone and it was my way of clawing some money back. When you're desperate you do desperate things.

Is the criticism for Steve McClaren from press and fans fair? Every manager has to live with pressure, but the players have to take responsibility too. It can't always be the manager's fault. England need to change their tactics as things aren't working.

What are you doing with yourself at the moment? I run an amateur team - we've had a nightmare season, so I feel a bit like McClaren!

Peter Marinello's autobiography, 'Fallen Idle', is available now from Headline Publishing