Soccer Performance Quotes

The competition for World Cup places is massive, and you can't just rest on what you've done in the past or anything like that.

When I was in college, I learned to really take care of my body and figured out what works best for me and what doesn't work for me when it comes to my nutrition. That helped so much on the field because soccer is such a fitness-oriented game.

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.

In my time at Arsenal, we had a really good balance. We had players who were fast, players who were really strong physically, and players who were really creative. When you look at the generation of Arsenal at the moment, they may be playing better football than we used to, but they win less than we used to - so, where's the balance?

These technical flicks and tricks come naturally to me and I don't really think about them. I did a backheel against Udinese and the coach would've strangled me if he could have!

Do you think that a Franck Ribery can always expect to play? No. When he is not on form, he will not play.

I like tricks; I like to dazzle. Dribbling and leaving your opponent on his backside is what life is for. If I achieve what I want to, then I'll mark a distinct era in football. I'm the Che Guevara of modern soccer.

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.

When I played for Boston Breakers in my early twenties, I really stepped up my training, which meant running drills until you're sick.

If I didn't have quads and hamstrings, soccer would be a lot different for me than it is now. I would be pushed all over the field. My lower body is something that has made me the player I am today, and it makes me feel strong.

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.

I don't know how you get in the England squad without getting in the Arsenal team.

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.

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.

My head has just been all about wanting to play regular football in the Premier League.

I believe that, in principle, it is easier to get into the national team if you perform well at Bayern, compared to what the benefits of playing for other clubs are.

Not everyone is Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Even Cristiano Ronaldo's first years at Manchester United were quite difficult.

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.

It will be hard to become the best South American striker because, from Argentina, there are lots of outstanding players.

It's not easy, especially for a German national team player who did great things in the past and maybe is struggling. That's why I think most of the German national team play abroad because if you don't play for Bayern Munich and you don't always win, it's difficult.

I am not obsessed about making an impression on the Premier League.

I played soccer and could have probably made it to the top league.

The level of English teams is high.

A lot of people have asked me what's it like being an American player in Europe. 'Do you have to earn more respect because you're American?' But I don't think it's like that at all. I think if you're good, you're good. They don't care where you're from or anything like that.

I just turned 34 and feel like the best striker I've ever been.