Louis van Gaal Quotes

As a player, you always want to play - it would be wrong to say otherwise - but you can always understand the manager's reasons if he decides to leave you out.

The more positions I can play, it gives the manager a nice headache, and it can be helpful for him.

To say we have to play a certain way, or try to, every game is great in theory, but depending what players you have got you have to play to their strengths and cover up their weaknesses.

It's important to be a soccer player in the sense of the whole vision - if you put me at forward, I can do it, or if you put me in midfield, I can do it.

I think you have to obviously be familiar with how the team wants to play and play to that style. But I think you also have to find a way to be yourself.

Despite their tremendous talent, (NBA players) are still, by and large, young adults, seeking validation from an authority figure, and there is no greater authority figure on a team than the coach. Needless to say, in today's warped, self-indulgent climate, too many players couldn't care less about appeasing the coach.

You can't make a recipe for something as complicated as surgery. Instead, you can make a recipe for how to have a team that's prepared for the unexpected.

I learned it doesn't matter how you win. You play to your team's strength.

The greatest players fit with the team. They play within the team's style, rather than asking the team to change its style.

I still say the '94 Double team is the best. They could outfight you or outplay you, depending on the way you wanted it. But this side is moving in the same direction.

A gifted player, who is not a team player, will ultimately hurt the team.

I think I must play how I can, that's all. And if I play my best I'll be happy. It doesn't matter because NHL is the best league in the world and we have great players so whoever the coach puts me with is the best. The coach knows best.

One of the hardest things for a ball player to do is to accept his role

Every day in practice I have to lead by example. But at the same time, when people aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing, you're responsible as a player. You can't rely on the coaches to say everything. The players have to be responsible and take ownership of the team. Every day in practice there are situations where you need to say something and get a message across, but do it in the right way.

You name it, I've got it. Some players have to be 100 percent (to play), but I don't.

The great thing about [Michael] Jordan was that he made them want it just like he wanted it. And a lot of times like a lot of the basketball players, not to be getting on basketball, but, with a lot of the basketball players you might have one superstar on the team, and they're not willing to play up to par with the way he is, so they don't make it. But then you have some celebrities on the basketball team, and they don't know how to get along with each other!

The number one thing on any team that will keep your players from being selfish is respect for the other players.

If certain players do not carry out their tasks properly on the pitch then their colleagues will suffer.

Lionel Messi is very much the team player, while Cristiano is very ego-driven.

This is the United spirit: you can play everywhere. If you want to win, you have to accept it. You can see Antonio Valencia playing right-back as well. Only because United play like a team. The team is the star, not only one player, that’s why you can put me and Michael Carrick at centre-back; we’re going to win because it’s the team effort and team spirit. That’s why I’m confident. I’ve said that from the beginning – in six years playing here – the Man United spirit… no one team has got that spirit. This is United. This is why I’m so proud to play here.

I'll play all five positions if my team needs me to.

If U.S. Grant had been leading a team of baseball players, they'd have second guessed him all the way to the doorknob of the Appomattox Courthouse.

I'm just a basketball player, you know? Just put me where you need me.

In basketball, you can be the greatest individual player in the world and still lose every game, because a team will always beat an individual.

I do what I'm coached to do. That's part of being a team leader and captain. The job will change week in and week out, and it's not for you to question what your job is - it's to go out there and execute your assignments.