Well, I’m not 17 anymore (thank God) and I’ve changed a lot since those days of shovelling chips into little paper bags. My views of the English have matured too. You’ll be relieved to know that I no longer hate you guys.

I decided to move to England four years ago because I realised there were more economic opportunities here than in my own country.

Of course, there are things I don’t like about England and things I miss about Ireland. But it’s very difficult to argue that the country which you left of your own free will is superior to the country which you moved to of your own free will. Let’s just say both Ireland and England have their good points and their bad points.

My attitude to English sporting teams has moved on a bit too, though not as far as you might expect.

I remember, a year after I moved here, watching England’s opening game of the 2006 World Cup with some friends in Nottingham.

When they asked me if I would be supporting their team I told them I certainly would not, indeed, I would be cheering on the Paraguayans.

They were shocked and genuinely hurt to hear this. In the months before that game, the people around me had worked themselves into a frenzy of excitement about England playing in the World Cup. Yet there I was telling my friends that I hoped their country failed.

It wasn’t just spiteful, it was downright rude.

I thought about it for a bit and decided that my days of Anyone But England would have to end. You can’t bear a grudge against the country in which you’ve chosen to live.

But I couldn’t, I just couldn’t bring myself to actually cheer on England. There was too much history.

So I decided on the Swiss option. When England play anyone other than Ireland at anything, I try to be neutral.

But when a fellow Celt like Andy Murray takes on the world at tennis, I have no mixed feelings about supporting him.

At least during National Care About Tennis Fortnight.

The rest of the time I’m not bothered either way.