Football (soccer) Player Quotes

Lionel Messi

Diego Maradona

Pelé

Thierry Henry

Neymar

Zinedine Zidane

Johan Cruyff

I have had a couple of options through my career to go to Real Madrid but I resisted temptation because of the feeling I had for my hometown club. It might be something I regret down the line for not challenging myself and experiencing another country but I would have had an even bigger regret leaving Liverpool. I had a great admiration for Madrid but for me Liverpool is my No 1 club.

Being a dad changes everything for the better and I'm really enjoying it.

Of course! We have a great team, great players, and in football, it's everything possible.

About Arsenal's chances of winning the Premiership

I want to play in Europe and I said it in the media and on television.

I am happy at Newcastle. I love the city and the people. Our fans are the best in the world. Even if we are losing or not playing well there are still 52,000 backing us and I respect that.
also he grew up in orile, lagos Nigeria

Obafemi Martins

The unconventional and uninhibited way of living was a part of my life. I won't be like that now.

You always expect to do well at a club like this in big competitions and we haven't done that. That is a disappointment to the newcomers like me who haven't tasted success here and also to those who've been here longer and won things in the past. We have to address that.

Edwin van der Sar

No one should be doomed to a life of poverty, whether by birth or as a consequence of war.

The speed at which we moved the ball in small spaces and our quality was superb. We played the ball through needles and it was very difficult for Aston Villa.

Messi is a very quick and technically gifted player. When you face him you have to make decisions in an instant. When he approaches you, you have to make the sign of the cross and pray that everything will be alright.

My school was 17 years as a player and another 16 watching more games probably than any coach has - all over the world, all systems. I couldn't go to school and write it down for people who are far less experienced, telling me what to do and how to do it.

In football, yeah, sometimes you get these multitalented individuals where that's all they want to do: when the team's got the ball, I'll play but, when we haven't got the ball, I'll go and have a rest.

I had a look at the keeper and I was thinking that he was a bit too much forward from his line. I tried instinctively to shoot and to hit the target. I was a bit lucky but that's what I wanted to do.

I have lost three World Cups, all on penalties. [...] If you'll allow me this, it really gets on my nerves.

They're gonna write that I'm a fag and the people is gonna believe it

Juan Román Riquelme

On his move to Paris Saint-Germain:

I want to write history here. This is the only reason. There are new challenges, and I want to help write the history of the club. Our biggest challenge is the Champions League, but there are other trophies too.

It was my father who taught us that an immigrant must work twice as hard as anybody else, that he must never give up.

Zinedine Zidane

What I am saying is true because I'm a European champion. I'm not one from the bottle, I'm a special one.

Usually quoted as 'The Special One'

I don't think there's anything guaranteed 100% in life. I want to have discussions for sure and there's lots of talking to be done. I'm not saying I don't want to be Derby manager, I'm saying that I don't think in life anything is 100% guaranteed. Now we'll sit down, have a chat and see what happens. I'm not prepared to discuss it at the moment and I'm not prepared to go into specifics. I've never said I'm leaving but it was always my intention to get to the end of the season and have a discussion.

The people who come to watch us play, who love the team and regard it as part of their lives, would never appreciate Liverpool having a huge balance in the bank. They want every asset we possess to be wearing a red shirt.

A month from today I guarantee I will be able to stand side by side with any striker in the country. I went to the World Cup as a punter. I didn't see any players that made me think 'I can't do that'

Petrification is the great means of nature to keep the transitory creatures of all epochs.

Gianluigi Buffon

My first manager's page for Shamrock Rovers, and my, shall I say, reasonably extensive vocabulary is still too confined to express how delighted I feel.

Damien Richardson

Yeah. We're in a special place, Ian. We've seen some football matches in our time. But, I've never seen? Seen a game like this, or been in a spectacle like this. I'll remember this for the rest of my life. Yeah, yeah. You'd much rather see seven goals than a one-nil defensive display, wouldn't you? At least they're getting entertained.

Steve McManaman

In the west, we have probably hit peak stuff. We talk about peak oil. I'd say we've hit peak red meat, peak sugar, peak stuff… peak home furnishings.