Who were the inspirations for your career? Initially, Carl Lewis. I watched him win his four Olympic golds in 1984, then I met Linford Christie when I was 14 or 15.

You played football for Plymouth and Newport, among others. Do you regret not pursuing your career in football? I’d be lying if I said no, particularly at the moment, during the credit crunch. But I went to a footballing school of excellence once with Ryan Giggs and what he could do running at speed with a ball and what I could do were worlds apart. I had to be realistic. I was always going to be a much better athlete than a footballer and in life you want to be the best you can be.

What is your best memory of winning the 4x100m Olympic gold medal in Athens? It was before the event. There had been all the criticism from Michael Johnson that I was lying about my hamstring injury, so I asked the rest of the British guys if they wanted me to be part of the team. They said they did and we agreed to win or lose as a team. I knew then that we would win.

You once refused to join a lap of honour with fellow sprinter Dwain Chambers. Have you made your peace with him and Johnson? I saw Michael briefly in Beijing but it was the night Christine Ohuruogu won her gold and he was on air. To have my integrity questioned by someone people respect and someone I had respected hurt a lot. I always gave my best. But I would like to talk to him because the past is the past. I’ve got three kids now and emotions were running high at the time. I’ve got no problem with Dwain. I’ve not spoken to him since, no. I’ve heard he’s willing to meet, which is good. You can’t go through life having issues with people.

Usain Bolt - are you a romantic or a cynic? I had the same thoughts as everyone else when he easily won the 100m in Beijing, because we’ve been let down in the past. But what I can say about Usain is that biomechanically I’ve never seen anyone that tall run like that. He also has some history. People in athletics had heard about him when he was breaking records at 14 and 15, so we knew about his talent. He has been drug-tested and there have been no problems. I have to say I’m a believer.

Biggest regret in your career? Between 21 and 24, when I retired from the sport. I couldn’t afford to live so I worked for an insurance company and started playing football again. I lost a lot of crucial development time. When I came back in 1996, I felt I was playing catchup.

You are working in football as a specialist sprint coach. Why are there so few black managers in the game? Wow, a curve ball, that one. I think not enough black guys feel there is an opportunity for them. I feel sorry for Paul Ince because he wasn’t given long enough at Blackburn, but he showed that the opportunity is there. I hope he will come back and be successful again. Managers aren’t given enough time to prove themselves.

What 100m time could you run now, at 35? What, straight after Christmas? Give me a couple of weeks and I could dip under 11 seconds. No, make it a couple of months. I still do some sprint training as part of my coaching.

Darren Campbell is the lead mentor for Sky Sports Living for Sport. For more information, visit www.livingforsport.skysports.com