Soccer Development Quotes

The Women's World Cup gives FIFA a chance, once every four years, to showcase the growth of women's soccer. It gives FIFA a highly visible opportunity to encourage countries around the globe to also support their women's programs. It gives FIFA the forum to show countries the potential of women's soccer if only you support it.

I am dreaming that Italy can return to having lots of important talent. We need to grow our young players.

I think it will be good to be in Columbus and get pushed there and then go overseas. If there is a loan, it will be good to get comfortable and get games and get used to the pace of European soccer.

When I was a kid, the women like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain were paving the way for female players in the States. Things like that are important so girls realise there is a future for them if they want to play. It is something they can aspire to, to be not just a hobby.

I was about five or six when I went to the little foundation camps. I got into the academy when I was nine, and I've gone through every age group since and into the first team.

Well, we've made huge strides since the 1990 World Cup, USA '94, and obviously since '98. Unfortunately, those strides only register with the public once every four years.

Kids are learning to play. That's why we're seeing an emergence. That's why we're seeing the Under-17s and Under-20s doing better in international football.

I started doing well at Villa when I was six or seven.

Germany is where I had to become a true professional. They play in big games when they are young. We could model some of our soccer system after what they do.

I love kids, and I really liked the idea of getting involved with something that was all about giving kids the opportunity to walk, run, or maybe even play soccer someday.

Even all the top players going to Europe to play helps soccer in America, as do all the MLS players like Beckham and all that, they're trying to promote it. At the end of the day it's about getting the younger generation interested at an early age so most of them will move on and play.

In football in this country, we want to be able to check off every box of a soccer player. You have to be good at this and this and this. Because of our society, and the way that I grew up in soccer, I had to become well-rounded-but I also cherished the parts of me that made me special.

I started going training with Southampton, and they were selecting the team for the under-9s. I did a six-week trial and got in. I was quite lucky to play at a good standard from a very young age.

If I couldn't get to the national team, I wanted to get as much as I could out of soccer, and I think moving abroad was my opportunity to do that. I think that, in turn, playing with that freedom and that spirit allowed me to play a lot better. I escalated my game quickly just by being happy.

Canada hasn't really been a top footballing country in the world, but I think the next generation of players coming through, I think we can really change that.

The Premier League is probably the best in the world so if you have a lot of players who play well there, it's normal that they are going to grow as players.

It's been a big flaw of ours in the soccer department that a lot of our best athletes go and play other sports. But I think young players have seen me, and others, go over to Europe and play in some of the best leagues - and MLS is improving so much, too.

I'm facing new challenges in China, the league here is developing and I try to help Chinese football develop here and around the world.

To be honest, from England Under-16s, through the 17s and 18s, really all the way through my youth career, I played at centre-half. For some reason, when I made my debut at Everton, I just played in central midfield, and it went from there.

A World Cup is always a bit of a watershed for teams, so there will be new faces and players given the chance to perform at a higher level.

From Under 15s to Under 19s, I was concentrating playing for England, it was close to me, I could just go to St George's Park, it was nice. Going back to school when you've just played for England, it was amazing, you're one of the best players in the country, that's why you're getting picked.

You have good footballers coming out of Africa, West Africa, but they are not on the level that Eto'o played.

I am excited to bring my deep knowledge, passion and expertise of soccer in this country to The New York Cosmos. They truly represent where this sport is headed on a national and international level, and I want to make history with them.

Going to Cardiff was a really good experience for me. I managed to get quite a few games under my belt at Premier League level, which was good, and I feel like I've come back a better player.

I think what we really want to do is to create a real soccer nation. We want to have kids really wanting to play the sport.