Brendan Rodgers Quotes

As a scouting department, with the confidence we have in our player development, if a guy has the potential that we think they have and the makeup and they stay healthy, we think they will be a productive Major Leaguer. We take a lot of pride in that.

For every LeBron James that jumps onto the scene, or every Derrick Rose that does really well in year one, you have a lot of others that take time to transition. Those guys are just brilliant in their own way, but a lot of other guys need a little help along the way.

So many guys come onto the scene who aren't supposed to be there. You pull for one, and then you see there's another and another and another, and you start to say, 'Who cares where a player was drafted? He can play football, and he can play at this level.'

If you look at most youngsters, they have worked well under Van Gaal. I had never heard of Thomas Muller at Bayern Munich before Van Gaal managed him, and he's now one of the best players in the world.

However, there is no assurance that we can produce world class players so soon. Only time can tell.

Football's about the young players, bringing youth team players through to the first team and hopefully getting the best out of them so they can go on to play for their country.

I think my main objective is to watch as many players as I can and grab a little bit from each of them, especially the things they do well.

Judging ballplayers and turning in reports, giving my opinion of who will get to the big leagues and who will not... I think my baseball judgment was really good.

All of us that have teams want to pick the right people. I've thought a lot about that. In the NFL, we've got 13 scouts traveling the country. We're trying to pick 22 year-olds coming out of college who will be successful in the NFL. It's very hard to do. What I've learned is it's always character first.

Nowadays, of course, flesh peddlers and scouting services identify the best athletes when they are still in junior high. Prospects are not allowed to sneak up on us.

I think there's always enough right in front of me worrying about who's playing the minutes tomorrow, but you've always got to have an eye on a year or two from now and what those guys will do if you think, 'Well, let's give them a full year at the 905 and see how they progress.'

When you go through the youth system you're always going in to do analysis work, looking at every way of improving and your coaches are always on top of you.

I think there's a danger in letting someone else shape how you're going to approach a player. Every person has somebody who's going to say something negative about them, you know? If you pay attention to all that stuff instead of seeing it for your own eyes, you can miss out on some opportunities.

I'm a good listener, and I take into consideration everything people tell me, but at the same time, I believe my eyes as well as the experience I had as a player. So players who underperform? There has to be a reason why... my job is for them to perform.

I think the hardest part, and where we have to stay the most disciplined, as much as you want a player, you can't invent him if he doesn't exist.

My PE teacher used to scout for Sporting and, when I was nine, he recommended me for a trial. From there, I just went up through the age groups and was always kept on while others were dropping out.

There is a big emphasis at Liverpool to have an academy that brings through young players.

It's important for the coach when you arrive to understand the players and to understand every single player's strength and their weakness.

My job is to bring in players I think can help this team, regardless of where they're playing.

Don't worry too much on pathways programs: good players find a way to get through to play for their country.

I used to have a log on every corner in the league, what their strengths and weaknesses are.

In any national team, the young players who have quality and the right mentality will stand out. And that's how it should be.

People often talk about a coach's philosophy, but generally, I think managers look at the players they have and then decide on their style.

I would love to take a role like Greg Chappell did for Australia. I think I have a good eye for talent and this is something that we have never taken on board in the Caribbean.

I don't get involved in recruitment like people think I do. There's a myth that I look at YouTube and choose players. I don't. Having an eye for players is an art. I have no interest in doing that.