Paul Scholes Quotes

I'm always in the 'butcher' role. But the only way to stop Messi one-on-one is to foul him. Otherwise, if I'm alone, I'll only get the ball one in 20 times. I have to use other weapons, I know the best way to stop him. I know he does not like playing with his back to goal, you must be right on top of him when he gets the ball.

Without a doubt, it is easier to produce a defensive soccer team, because it does not need you to have talent for it but simply to be well organised.

Zidane was an idol for me, I grew up watching him play. He always asks me to come out playing the ball and that I don't just sit deep.

Any good attacker will always beat a defender who's face-marking you.

I think each player has an individual style. Each is concerned with giving the best to his team, and I think my best talent is dribbling and setting up goal situations, giving an assist or deceiving one of the other team's players.

When I don't have control of the ball, what do I do? I press to get it back. It's a way of defending. But more important is that I like to have the ball. That's why I believe in individual coaching sessions to prepare players properly.

It's not only Van Dijk who can stop Ronaldo. But Ronaldo is good enough to create against really good defenders.

I feel like I've improved immensely in terms of my defending, not only in one-versus-ones but also with my positioning.

Think about the deflections. The offense can't score every play. They're just trying to get a good shot. If I can deflect a pass, even if it doesn't cause a turnover, it will throw their timing off half-a-second. That half-a-second might mess up their shot.

I'm a defender first and foremost, and if I'm playing right centre-half, I am even more of a defender than the wing-backs.

Messi is the best in the world, even when he is defending.

In Spain, you get seven clear chances a game to receive the ball and shoot. In Italy, you get very few clear balls, and you have to fight everyone to score; that makes you improve and develop.

When I play against a winger, because I'm a winger myself, I understand what they are going to do before they try and go past me, so it makes it a lot easier for me.

Tactically, Italians are very strong. They are a lot into tactics: how to defend, when you lose the ball, where will you be?

The last thing you want as a striker is the opposing team putting all 10 players behind the ball.

We know it's impossible sometimes to have good defending against Cristiano Ronaldo but we want to keep the ball, with good possession, as then he can do nothing in attack.

The players who defend against him make fouls because it's always hard to defend Neymar and take the ball without fouling him.

Defending is not only done by the defenders, just as attacking is not only down to the forwards.

That's part of my game: just running the wing, defending.

It is very important to be able to play with your feet, and deal with one-on-ones.

Play the pass at the right moment - not on a dry pitch and not hitting it hard enough. We don't have to accept it; that was a mistake - no goalkeeper should dribble in this situation.

You have to foul me to stop me, period.

The best place to defend is in the opposition penalty box.

The only way to stop Messi is to double mark him. One player to stay on him and the other to help out.

If you defend, rebound and limit turnovers, you're going to put yourself in a position where you can win games