Sam Allardyce Quotes

I really didn't feed off the whole Olympic experience at all, and I regret that from an athletic perspective, and also from a personal experience. I feel like I missed out, so I'm not going to do that this time.

I got a lot of opportunities and I was able to make the best of them.

That's what I tell all the kids who come to my summer camps: 'You'll get a shot; it's about what you do with it.'

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

As we grow older I always think, why didn't I do more when I was young, why didn't I risk more?

The trouble with opportunity is, it never announces when it comes. It's only after it's gone, you'd realize that you missed it.

I'm trying to avoid having regrets about missing opportunities. That would be the worst thing. Like having an audience waiting, and not working hard enough, and coming out with a record that disappointed them.

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.

I'm a great believer that you had to do everything you've done to have got to where you are.

Don't stink up the place with bad acting, if an opportunity comes your way.

You look at the road you could have taken, you know, I just think that's interesting... I've been on a lot of roads and I had to hitchhike on a couple of 'em... I have to be very honest: There's not an awful lot of regret in my life. I think that, you know, you learn from everything, and then, sometimes, you don't.

When you drop the ball, it's not about, 'Oh, he can't catch,' or none of that. If you put time into something, of course you can catch. I wouldn't have got drafted if I couldn't.

With hindsight, if you want to play for Real Madrid, sacrifices need to be made but I was too young to understand. There are things I shouldn't have said or done. It was early in my career, maybe too early. I didn't know it was the only Champions League I'd win, for example.

It's funny: there's this idea where Kenny is only good because he can do what he wants, and he gets time. Well, everyone else through those doors had had time and opportunity. Why didn't they do anything special?

Everybody's dream is to win a championship, but not everyone gets that chance. The only thing you can do is make sure you don't look back and have to wonder whether you did everything you could have done. I know I'll be able to look back and feel I had a good, honest career.

It's very important for me to show younger kids that when opportunities are there, you have to jump on them.

Experience is the best teacher. I've been through a lot - going to the Olympics, going to the Finals, having a lot of good games and having a lot of bad games. It's a rollercoaster ride and I'm just happy I'm a part of it. If it was easy, then everybody could do it.

Life comes in the form of opportunities, which are easy to recognize, after they have been wasted.

A friend of mine once asked how to make it in show business and I said "Be so good that they can't ignore you." She thought I was being flip but it's true. The challenge is trying to live up to the opportunities given me.

I didn't have any great talent. I didn't want to become a rock star or an author.

If I had to give odds, I would say 30 percent of whatever good fortune I've had in this business has been luck, and 50 percent has been casting - so that's 80 percent right there. And 20 percent is just working really hard and taking risks.

You just have to find that thing that's special about you that distinguishes you from all the others, and through true talent, hard work, and passion, anything can happen.

I believe in myself and my art so much. I've always trusted destiny. Wherever it takes me, I just work damn hard at the opportunity.

I tell young people - including my granddaughter - there is no shortcut in life. You have to take it one step at a time and work hard. And you have to give back.

I have many regrets and things I wish I could go back and change, but I have also worked hard and tried to improve myself.