Michael Owen Quotes

I went into umpiring at age 16. I got into officiating because of the fact that I could not stand the referees that worked our basketball games.

If you find my aggressive and dominating play dirty, then that's your opinion. But I would assume most people want someone who is going to do anything and everything within the lines to win for their team, because I know I would.

I was very pleased that the positive things about me and my game outshone the aggressive style of play I use. I would never tone that down, because I believe in that style of play, and I believe that you can play rough on the court and still be a good sport.

I was surprised I won the award because I've always been a very aggressive player and I earn my share of fouls on the court. I play rough, and because I'm an older player, of course I use tricks on the younger players.

I'm always competitive, but if I didn't win fair and square, I didn't win. And I want to win if I'm genuinely better than my competitor.

If you look at other countries, you see they have different values: defend more, pass the ball out more, winning is holy. In England, you could say that sport itself is holy. They say, 'Look, guys, it's about more than just winning.'

The beauty of football is that it's about 11, and another five, at least, are sitting outside. You cannot get competitive.

That's the nicest part of football; you can't do everything to stop a player.

Strikers never lose games... we have to be honest and say that.

A lot of guys are offensive minded, which is good at some points and times but bad at others - at lots of others. I wish I could say I want everybody to play defense as hard as I do. It's not a reality.

I'd rather be an athlete than a fighter, an athlete is going to go there and figure out the ways to win, see the holes in the game.

In football, it is not important how you win, it is important that you win.

You can play perfect football, lots of one-touch stuff, and you lose. But that's not what you want, you want to win.

I'm in this sport to win but win by being the best, not by being lucky.

I think polo players are at their best in their 30s. You've got the talent and the experience. You play with your head - you learn to lose and how to win.

It's good to be No1 but you'd like to do it the right way, not because of something that might have happened off the table.

I don't want to become a player who spends half his time running round after the breakdown, because that won't get the best out of me.

I feel like, there's no fair in fighting: you do whatever it takes to win. Obviously, sometimes I cheat to win, but it's not illegal.

The whole thing about F1 that the bad boy is the winner is wrong.

Juventus are specialists because they have the habit to win and the habit to put pressure on the referee. It's a club with a culture to try to do everything to help the team.

I'm sorry to say it, but we have to be more arrogant and more streetwise because we are coming up against some great teams who have that streetwise mentality. They bring their play into it: you do what you have to do to win a game. Simple as that. Be streetwise and clever.

When we're up 1-0 after 88 minutes, I don't sprint to the sidelines to take a throw-in - I expect that I and my team will be smart.

In the past, you might have said, 'This player is technically not good - let's prey on her.' But now, the game is professional in most countries - you can't just play on that.

You've got to win in sports - that's talent - but you've also got to learn how to remind everybody how you did win, and how often. That comes with experience.

Why would I want to win anything other than a beautiful game?