Player Inspiration Quotes

When you look at role models, you tend to look at players who have played at the highest level, your Viv Andersons and so on.

I like Joe Sakic. Coming out of Buffalo, I obviously like Alexander Mogliny, Pat LaFontaine. Hasek is up there. Miroslav Satan. Whoever seemed to be a good player at the time I'd watch. Jagr too. I tried to learn a lot from those guys.

I used to watch big guards and how they handled the ball and made plays. Guys like Joe Johnson.

My idol was always Tomas Rosicky. He used to be phenomenal. He had such a good eye for an opening and knew where his team-mates were and he was so quick. I copied everything about him – right down to his sweatbands. [] he would be one of the world’s best players. Jack Wilshere is a perfect player. Boy, he’s good. He’s so quick and skillful with the ball at his feet.

I try to penetrate the lane like Steve Nash, pass like Jason Kidd, and handle the ball like Allen Iverson. Remember, I said 'try to'.

I had a lot of idols like Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, and Xabi Alonso - all of them. I really looked up to them.

Let's be honest: doesn't everyone look at Ronaldo's free kicks? I've looked at a lot of his technique, but I do it in my own way. I have my own style and try not to do the same.

Ronaldinho and David Beckham, they took free kicks and took them very well, so there are some players I always try to follow and to learn important things from so that I am able to score goals.

Arsene Wenger took a lot of inspiration from players, he gave you a lot of freedom. Unai Emery is a bit more tactical.

Even when I wasn't a shooter, when I was younger, I used to watch Rip Hamilton. He was one of my favorite players with the way he moved without the ball.

One of my big influences as a young player was Allen Iverson. All I wanted to do was the left-to-right crossover, because that's the one he was doing most.

One of my friends, Bruno Andrade, was so quick, he just used to knock the ball past whoever he was playing against, and I thought, 'Why can't I do that?' Until then, I would try to dribble and maybe try a stepover, but Andre would just knock it then - beep, beep - and he was so fast, he would get there first.

I always modeled myself on Ronaldinho. He was one of my favourites who I followed a lot - his magic made us want to imitate him and his football. Is my goal celebration a tribute to him? Yes, of course. I like him a lot.

I think just playing in the Champions League is a big motivation. When you hear the hymn or the song of the Champions League, it's a big motivation for every player.

The fans motivated me. They gave me the incentive to want to play and to want to win and to continue to play as my career progressed. They were never a distraction.

During the holidays, professional players would come and say hello to us in the academy and that really made you want to be a professional. When you saw what great conditions they lived in, it gave you even more desire.