Jesse Lingard Quotes

I got scouted at six by Everton. My parents said it was maybe a bit too young. A year later, I went down to trials at Everton and have been there ever since.

I was playing first-team football at Cardiff at 16.

I was at a local club, Penketh United, and Mike Glennie, a Manchester United scout, came to watch me. He spoke to my grandad and offered me trials, but there was also interest from Liverpool, and I had to pick - I was only young, but obviously my heart was with United at the time.

I only started playing top football when I was 17 and a half.

When I was growing up Harlequins were interested in signing me because I was very fast and strong at an early age, but I wasn't interested in rugby at the time.

Coaches from Celtic actually came to my door but I wasn't interested. I thought I'd get lost in the system. I wasn't ready for it.

I was a promising keeper as a kid and, at 15 and 16, was on the books of Crewe Alexandra.

I'd gone to watch Wortley play in their home tournament but they didn't have enough players so I played for them. I got scouted by a guy called Sonny Sweeney and went to Leeds City Boys.

I played for Barcelona, for Ajax, where it's important to develop and integrate young talent.

Actually, I wanted to play baseball. Honestly, I just think with a kid developing, playing a lot of sports, it's just kind of whatever you're good at.

I was a million miles from being a Premier League player. You see some people, at 18 they are ready. At 21, I wasn't. Physically nowhere near.

These kids are the future of the National Football League. They're the next generation that will be playing high school football, NCAA football, and some even to the pros.

Football, I thought, would be a tough sport to make a living in. There is no minor league. You either make it to the NFL or you don't.

My generation put in a lot more hours playing football after school than kids today. These days, all the football these kids play, they play at their clubs, so the clubs need to work seriously on the basic skills.

People in Real ask me about Mateo Kovacic all the time. He is a phenomenal talent and will play in some of the biggest clubs. Inter is a big club, no doubt, but Kovacic will play in even bigger.

I would advise that if you can get out on loan and play football, it is the best path to go down.

People at school used to assume I was going to be a footballer, and it wasn't until I got to 16, when I was at Southampton, that I had a doubt for the first time in my life. Southampton said I wasn't big enough, but it was just because I hadn't grown. Simple as that.

For me, playing through all the youth teams at Borussia Dortmund was a really good experience because I was able to play against talented opponents at a relatively early age.

I began my journey as a 16-year-old boy at the Arsenal's academy, trying to one day become a first team player, going out for evening runs in East Barnet with Jack Wilshere.

Who doesn't want to work in the Premier League?

I was lucky to get a professional contract. I wasn't that sort of talent that is considered to be a professional player.

In Holland you go into amateur teams, come up through the ranks and are generally spotted for senior or professional football. At 16, I had made it into a men's amateur team, and was picked up professionally from there.

I've given it all from my combine to my pro day to my meetings with teams.

If you become their property it is much clearer for you, for the club, for everything. It was a great experience to play in three different teams, different leagues, different experiences, but if I wanted to improve I had to break this cycle and make my own way. That's why I signed this contract to come to Stoke.

I actually had the chance to sign for Newcastle before I went to West Ham; I didn't in the end because they had got rid of their reserve team. There were a few clubs interested but I liked what West Ham had to offer and never regretted signing for them, I loved it straight away.