Wojciech Szczesny Quotes

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.

I don't think I was ready for the Premier League until I was 24 at Southampton.

Today's Little Leaguers, and there are millions of them each year, pick up how to hit and throw and field just by watching games on TV. By the time they're out of high school, the good ones are almost ready to play professional ball.

I look at the N.B.A. as a job, a great job to have, so I think, for me, I would have loved the opportunity to go to the N.B.A. out of high school. If you're not ready, you're not ready. If you are ready, I think you should be able to go.

Once you graduate from the Under-19 level, no one really gives you technical advice. It is all about making mental adjustments.

At first it was a bit surreal playing in the Premier League at 16, coming up against world-class players, because it had always been my dream. But quickly, it becomes second nature to you.

If I'd gone straight to the NBA, I don't think I would have been ready as a player or a person.

I always think the same: English players don't generally leave England, which is strange. But of course, the Premier League's got the reputation as one of best leagues going, and one of the most competitive leagues.

Ideally, you want a defender with Premier League experience.

When I was a player, it was important to target the first few friendlies and plant a seed in the mind of the gaffer.

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'm used to playing in the Premier League now. I'm confident, and all my team-mates are confident with me.

When it comes to peaking at the right time, I have to thank my coach Mike Holmes: he is a genius.

Lindor is a good player. When I was 20, I wasn't conditioned like he is.

If you're lucky enough to get into a Premier League or Championship team straight away, well done to you, but I feel really grateful for the experience that I had at the lower end.

Kids are doing more in their offseason. That's what the college quarterbacks, the pro quarterbacks do. That's how you get better.

The Premier League is what it is. Some people will see the intensity and quality as a great advantage for your players: it will make them better. Some will see it as a disadvantage because the players play at such a high level and such intensity, it's difficult for them to drum that up, that intensity, with a very short space of rest time.

I don't know how many 19 year-olds are playing in the Championship, there's certainly not any playing in the Premiership. It depends on what type of character you are really.

My defensive side was something I wanted to work on, especially coming into the Premier League.

I trained with Chelsea for two weeks under Glenn Hoddle when they were in the relegation zone - it was a long time ago. And I also trained for Bolton when I was a young player. I was very clear, very soon, that I was missing a lot for that level.

Sometimes I was getting bored playing in youth games and in the reserves; I didn't think it was challenging. I always wanted to be challenged and better myself.

I began training the young players at Nova Iguacu and at Boavista, and I enjoyed it. I had always wanted to be a coach, and this accelerated the process.

It's a league that you really have to get used to. If you're coming from another one, it's a tough league. Getting the experience playing in a Premier League team and getting hopefully consistent games will be huge for me.

I think that's vitally important, that we get players playing at a younger age group.

In football, any team can still improve, in every sense.