Football Technique Quotes

From close range the free-kick is taken with inside of the foot. I will take a run-up of two or three steps and take the kick with the inside of the foot and the ball will travel in a straight line towards the goal. If it is a long-range free-kick, then I will use the outside of my foot. The ball will turn in the air and head towards the goal.

I used to watch Beckham and Andrea Pirlo. Players like that, they had a fantastic right foot on them; everyone knows that.

My reads, operation with the offense, timing with the receivers, routes, sitting in the pocket, trusting my line - everything is always a work in progress.

I have great technique, a good shot, and I'm pretty good in the air.

He is an example of a La Masia player. Technically he is unbelievable.

I love it when receivers catch the balls with their hands.

I don't practise indirect free-kicks, but the technique and how I strike the ball I practise a lot.

Messi has the best technique in the world.

I had a lot of dealings with Bergkamp. I started with the under-17s at Ajax, and he was the assistant coach. Once or twice a week, we had individual one-to-one training sessions. You just watched Bergkamp. When you see him in training, he had skills that a guy just shouldn't be allowed to have.

In futsal, you see whether a player is really talented. You notice the small details in quality, class and tactical understanding.

With Keita, he will hunt you down, get the ball, then 'either get in the box and score or he has the same type of 'passing range Philippe Coutinho had in the final delivery.

Aaron Rodgers, he throws that back-shoulder throw so well.

It was only when I got to Tottenham as a youth player that they said, 'You need to be good in the air.' It was made clear I was going be a target man, so I had to start working on my technique.

Peter Schmeichel could make the goal look much smaller when you glanced up to hit a shot.

Romario had the best first touch and the best pass to score a goal.

I find it easier to strike the ball with my instep across goal. But I've scored in loads of other ways, too.

The bicycle kick is not easy to do. I scored 1,283 goals, and only two or three were bicycle kicks.

I work on crossing the ball at pace. That's something that is not easy. And my first touch has improved, as has my understanding of the game.

I always liked how David Beckham played - his set-plays and his dead balls.

In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I could never cut inside and shoot. It was only when I joined Real Madrid and started playing in a more central position, and then on the right wing, that I suddenly realised I had a really dangerous weapon.

I've never been blessed with height, strength and power so I've had to learn how to play differently from a young age, my game was all based on technique and when I look at players like Xavi and Iniesta they were always players I modelled myself on.

Being thick isn't an affliction if you're a footballer, because your brains need to be in your feet. And Beckham works hard, he's brave and he crosses a ball superbly. He treats a football like he does a wife, lovingly, with caresses.

More than anything I prefer the ball on the floor. I think I play my best football on the floor. There is a delicacy to this big giant.