Aston Villa Tim Sherwood spoke exclusively to Sportsmail 's Chief Sports Writer Martin Samuel this week , covering all topics from touchline antics to his spell with Tottenham . Here are the top 10 quotes from that brilliant interview . Aston Villa spoke to Sportsmail 's Chief Sports Writer Martin Samuel in an exclusive interview this week . Sherwood on his leadership qualities . ‘ I think I can be a leader of men , but you ’ re not born with that attitude . In the maternity ward , it ’ s not girls , boys and natural leaders . You have to become that. ’ Sherwood on his touchline antics and emotional nature . ' I could try acting . I could sit down and make little notes and everyone would say I ’ ve matured . But I know that ’ s impossible . I can ’ t imagine being any different 500 games in . People thought I would calm down as a player , but I didn ’ t . The day I retired I was the same lunatic that made his debut for Watford in 1987 . I can ’ t believe the other managers are not as emotionally involved as I am , either . I think they ’ re all like me inside . Sherwood says he ca n't believe other managers are not as emotionally involved as he is . Sherwood on his Aston Villa side . ‘ We ’ re like Everton . I don ’ t think we ’ ve got a group of players who are cut out for a relegation battle . We can ’ t be the Crystal Palace of last year , or the West Brom of this year . Digging in , blood and thunder , lump the ball in , protecting a lead , that ’ s not us . Our squad is better on the ball , they ’ re more suited to pushing for a place in the Europa League . Sherwood on his players stepping up . ‘ The players have a duty , a responsibility to fix this mess . I don ’ t want to hear crap about how difficult it is to play at home . Playing for a big club comes with pressure . Anyone can do it for a lesser team — but you have to have b******s to play for Aston Villa . This is a big club . 'Aston Villa are like Everton ... they 're not a group of players who are cut out for a relegation battle ' Sherwood on not listening to criticism . ‘ When I was at Blackburn there were times when it was difficult . My name would be read out and there were a few groans . I didn ’ t care . I ’ d sometimes tell David Batty , “ I ’ ll give it away more times than you ’ ll get it this afternoon. ” . Sherwood on Nabil Bentaleb . ‘ I ’ d watched him in training . Every day was like his last on earth . He would cry if he lost a five-a-side . He played and never looked back . Sherwood says he loved the way Nabil Bentaleb 'played and never looked back ' last season at Tottenham . Sherwood on telling Redknapp to take Bale off in the San Siro . ‘ Harry ’ s going mad . “ Get f****** Gareth off ? ” he says . “ He ’ s the only f****** chance we ’ ve got. ” He keeps him on , he scores a hat-trick , gets us back to 4-3 and if it goes another 10 minutes , we win . The kid ’ s career springboards from that performance . Sherwood on playing with passion . ‘ The coaches used to call me Tackler Tim , or some rubbish . One day , I put one in and he said to Graham Taylor , “ Why ’ s he keep doing that ? ” I ’ ve never forgotten his answer . “ Brian , you know that shirt you wear on Saturday ? ” he said . “ That ’ s the shirt he wants. ” He was right , too . Take a player like Jack Grealish . I ’ ve had lots of chats with Jack . He knows what I think . I tell him : “ I will take desire over ability every day ” . Obviously , the ability can ’ t be too low . But if you have the ability — and he has — you ’ ll make it if you have desire . Sherwood says you must have the desire and talent to make it at the top these days . The young manager was appointed last month to attempt to save Aston Villa 's season . Sherwood on managing players . ‘ So I didn ’ t come in here all guns blazing or wanting to be their headmaster . You can ’ t get personal these days , get your hair cut , and all that nonsense . You ’ ve got to move with the times . I left the stick at home , and the tickling brush . Now I feel I know them a bit better . Some get a whack , others a tickle . Sherwood on Tottenham . ‘ I don ’ t want to be scrapping around ; I want to take them forward . I think I did that at Tottenham . I didn ’ t leave a crumbling house — Mauricio Pochettino has done a good job , but he had it laid out for him , with players like Kane and Bentaleb . Sherwood on managing players : 'Some get a whack , others get a tickle ' ( pictured with Emmanuel Adebayor )
READ MARTIN SAMUEL 'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TIM SHERWOOD . Sherwood speaks about his emotional touchline antics and passion . ^ Villa manager compares club to club who should get higher . Says it is a ' massive challenge ' and also talks about club quality . ^ was let go as Tottenham manager at the end of last season .