Youth Team Quotes

You should never get ahead of yourself car-wise; no Merc when you're still in the youth team, no Porsche unless you're a Premier League regular.

When I first arrived at Napoli, I was the ball boy, which meant that I got to watch as the legends trained. Then, once I joined the youth team as a young teenager, I was a midfielder just like Tardelli.

When I went up from the youth team to the first team at Internacional, it was a risk - they were almost betting on me making it.

Ever since I was in the youth team at City, I've always loved crossing the ball.

The feeling I had at 14, getting selected for Everton's Under-15 side - that excitement, pride, all the emotions - it never goes away. It still happens when I'm waiting for the England squad announcement. I'll get sweaty palms, I'll sit and scroll through my inbox, refreshing it continuously making sure that the email comes through.

I remember being in West Ham's youth team and seeing Jody Morris play for Chelsea at 17 and you scoring for Liverpool on your debut when you were 18. I was watching it on Soccer Saturday and I was like, "I can't believe he's scored!" It's professional jealousy. It's best to be honest about it. It gave me real desire. I was thinking "God I want that to be me".

I started out as a defender. I played as a full-back, and then I moved into the centre. I played defence right the way through until the Under-18s. Honestly!

I should have got a medal at Neunkirchen, my first club in Germany.

Koeman may have been head coach at Feyenoord, but I never felt like he was my manager, as I was in the youth team. I don't even know if he knew I was there. I don't have anything to prove to him.

As a young player, I played up front, on the wing, in midfield, and when I started in the reserves at Standard Liege, I played centre back.

It was strange joining Chelsea, but when I signed, I knew I would be loaned out to a team. They had, like, a five-year plan for me.

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 believe you have to take care of the kids from the youth team, the ones coming through, and people like Butragueno know how to do that.

Luckily for me, Hereford restarted their youth team. I trained a few times with the first team before my first stroke of luck, when the club's youth team coach Pete Beadle, someone who knew me well, became the first-team manager.

Liverpool followed me for a long time. When I arrived in the offices there, they showed me cassettes of me in the Under-15s. Everyone knew me. I couldn't believe it.

I'm always proud to pull on the shirt and I always will be, whether it's been for the senior team or the Under-21s.

I ve got a boot boy from the Youth team. His name s Kudos - he's a good lad and has been looking after me for a few years.

When I represent the Under-21s and sing the national anthem, there is no better feeling.