Soccer players from England

"Well what a turn-up. From professional footballer to television presenter to green politician. Whatever next?"

"People would have said the same thing to Jesus, 'Who the heck are you? You're a carpenter's son.'"

"Icke: The best way of removing negativity is to laugh and be joyous, Terry, so I'm glad that there's been so much laughter in the audience tonight. Wogan: But they're laughing at you. They're not laughing with you. Icke: I don't care."

"We/I am a son/daughter of God. In fact, we are all expressions/projections of the Infinite Conciousness, which is love, that is what I mean when I say "I am a son of god "GOD"!""

"The most explosive book of the twentieth century... I'm not kidding, it explodes!!"

"Dogmatic religion any form of mind control actually, has been used, and refined to fantastic effect over thousands of years since the "restart" of Modern civilisation-Sumeria/Sumer according to Official history. To incite and exploit emotions like fear, guilt, frustration, anger, and the feeling of 'Emptiness'. Which has assisted our prison warders, who've encouraged the "masses" to hand over their Responsibilty, and right to think and feel to a politician, book, media presenter, priest, experts because they feel and are encouraged to perpetuate the consensus reality, therefore subconcious belief that we/they don't have the ability or confidence for that matter to establish truth for themselves regardless of any external influences and without fear of being "crucified" for doing so. You and I have the right, to take control of our minds and therefore of lives, which is the first step on the road to infinite, now is a good time as any to start to make your own decisions."

"Official history has been tampered with in the most extraordinary way, so that we continue to see the world in the child-like simplicity of good and evil, heroes and villains. The world is rarely like that. Therefore the need to create opposing "sides" and encourage conflict becomes essential."

"We are reflections of one another, therefore I know that you are part of me and I am part of you because we are all projections of the universal principles of creation/destruction polarities of the same infinite consciousness that we call God."

"I strongly believe that a small Jewish clique which has contempt for the mass of Jewish people worked with non-Jews to create the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the Second World War. This Jewish/non-Jewish Elite used the First World War to secure the Balfour Declaration and the principle of the Jewish State of Israel (for which, given the genetic history of most Jewish people, there is absolutely no justification on historical grounds or any other). They then dominated the Versailles Peace Conference and created the circumstances which made the Second World War inevitable. They financed Hitler to power in 1933 and made the funds available for his rearmament."

"How is it right that while this fierce suppression goes on, free copies of the Spielberg film, Schindler's List, are given to schools to indoctrinate children with the unchallenged version of events. And why do we, who say we oppose tyranny and demand freedom of speech, allow people to go to prison and be vilified, and magazines to be closed down on the spot, for suggesting another version of history."

""I stress that I am not attacking Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and the environmental movement in general. They have done some good work overall. I am merely pointing out that they can, and are, used to promote the New World Order, mostly (though certainly not in every case), without their knowledge."

"My use of extracts from the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" was too much for political purity to take. It didn't matter that I had emphasised, as I do in this book, that this is not a plot by Jewish people; it didn't matter that I renamed them the "Illuminati Protocols" for the specific reason of getting away from their association with Jewish people; it didn't matter that these Protocols, which came to light in the late-1800s, contain details of the very plan of manipulation which has provably unfolded through the twentieth century."

"Dogmas take endless forms, and when you can persuade different people to hold opposing dogmas, the manipulation of conflict and control through "divide and rule" becomes easy. It is happening today in the same way - more so, in fact - as it has throughout human history."

"The members of this Elite are either direct incarnations of the fourth-dimensional Prison Warders or have their minds controlled by them. The aim of the Brotherhood and its interdimensional controllers has been to centralise power in the hands of the few. This process is now very advanced and it is happening on a global scale today thanks to modern technology. The game-plan is known as the Great Work of Ages or the New World Order, and it presently seeks to introduce a world government to which all nations would be colonies; a world central bank and currency; a world army; and a micro-chipped population connected to a global computer. What is happening today is the culmination of the manipulation which has been unfolding for thousands of years."

"Some of my friends have urged me to tell people the basic story, but "for God’s sake don’t mention the reptiles.""

"I wish I didn't have to introduce the following information, [on reptilian shapeshifting] because it complicates the story and opens me up to mass ridicule. But I'm not afraid to go where information leads me"

"Credo Mutwa, the most knowledgeable man i have ever had the honor of knowing."

"Hitler's Europe Yes, welcome to Hitler's Europe... Come on, human race - for our children's sake if not our own. This is wakey, wakey time."

"Today, the stranglehold of the controlling negative forces upon Earth is extremely advanced and is choking the very life from our planet. The effects of this are evident everywhere in the form of fear, separation, war, disease and multifarious kinds of disharmony on all levels."

"I have positively identified this group as what I call the Black Nobility, which includes the Queen and Prince Phillip. By the time I get to Vancouver, I'll be able to reveal the true role of the Queen of England and the real facts around Lady Diana's death."

"I believe that the human race has developed a form of collective schizophrenia in which we are not only the slaves to this imposed thought behavior, but we are also the police force of it. The reason most people don't express their individuality and actually deny it, is not fear of what prime ministers think of us or the head of the federal reserve, It's what their families and their friends down at the bar are going to think of them."

"Icke: Come on, Ted Heath! Sue me if you've got nothing to hide! Come on, George Bush! I'm ready! Sue me! I'm naming names! Come on, Jon? Why are they refusing to sue me? Ronson: Because they are twelve-foot lizards? Icke: Yes! [...] Exactly!"

"What we call the 'world' and the 'universe' is only one frequency range in an infinite number sharing the same space. The interdimensional entities I write about are able to move between these frequencies or dimensions and manipulate our lives. When people say they saw a 'UFO' disappear in front of their eyes, for example, the 'craft' has not 'disappeared' it has left the frequency range their eyes can access and thus, to them, it seems to disappear. Ghosts are entities on other frequencies, too."

"Every now and again I get approached by "celebrities" [saying] "oh, you're doing a great job mate, I think it's wonderful what you're doing". Ok, and what you're gonna do? You're gonna make a freaking film now, aren't you? You're gonna make another bloody record! You're gonna stand in front of tens of thousands of people, you're gonna go on chat shows watched by millions of people! Are you gonna bring this subject up yourself? No! Why? "Me, me, me!" "I don't wanna affect my carrer!" I tell you... anyone in the public eye - come nowhere near me unless you are prepared to put your-bloody-self when your mouth is. Walk the talk or walk the other way!"

"Science has shown us many things, I agree, "but it hasn’t shown us anything about reptilian shape-shifters." "OK, you’re a repeater," he nods. "I’ve not seen scientific papers about shape-shifters," I say. "You’re a left brain prisoner, mate," he says. "What’s your evidence for the lizards?" "You’ve not come with an open mind." "How do you know it’s true, David?" "Twenty-five years of putting endless information together and concluding that from the info. End of story." "You can’t just say 'end of story'!" "I can," he says. "I just said it.""

"Because the scientific method tells us what’s true," I say. "No, it doesn’t," he says. "Does it not?" "No," he says. "It’s bollocks." "Right," I say, slightly startled. "It’s bollocks?" I wonder, if science is bollocks, how his TV came to exist. "It’s not that all science is bollocks," he decides. "The basis of the way science judges reality is bollocks."

"Years ago, I had an experience with a playground bully. (...) This bully was after me and he was gonna do this, he was gonna do that, all the other kids were terrified of this bully. And he came to me one night, just before immediately the school was over, and he said to me "Icke, I'm beating you up tonight, you're gonna meet me here." And he expected me to run. And I said "alright", and I took him on. I never threw a punch! He was trying to hit me and trying to hit me, and I was just, you know, a bit like Neo in The Matrix, only at normal speed. Cause he was all front! He was all front! His power in that playground perception of his power. Look him in the eye, "come on then, let's have ya", gone. Finished! Over! And that night, his power of that playground disappeared, cause people realized he was a fraud as the word got out."

"Infinite love is the only truth. Everything else is illusion."

"The following list has been compiled from the wealth of research I have put together over the last ten years. I would suggest that all of these are reptilian bloodline, but I only mention shapeshifting where it has been witnessed. It is only an initial list and will be added to. If you can add names, and give the supporting evidence, that would be most helpful in exposing these horrors. By "Satanists", of course, I mean those involved in human sacrifice.... George Bush: U.S. President and Vice President, head of the CIA, and a stream of other roles in the Illuminati. Satanist, mind controller, torturer of children and adults, paedophile, shapeshifting reptilian, and major drug runner. Serial killer. Nice man.... Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K.: Satanist, child sacrificer, shapeshifting reptilian. Major Illuminati figure."

"You don't comb the mirror, you comb your own hair and the mirror changes."

"It got to the point where I sat on the side of the bed in a hotel room in London in early-1990 and said to whoever or whatever: 'If you are there will you please contact or leave me because you are driving me up the wall'."

"Former US president, drug baron and pedophile, George Herbert Walker Bush, incidentally, is mentioned more than any other person in my experience in relation to shape-shifting."

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut, that held its ground."

"I hope I can pass on a few thoughts and ideas to the Sci-Fi channel to encourage people to see that they are living in a conditioned illusion and we can change it any time we want. We can be people and not sheeple."

"Mad, Bad, or just prepared to go where others fear to tread? The most controversial author and speaker in the world"

"In the Atlantean period there were many energies being used and information and knowledge being used which were, for particular reasons of safety, withdrawn, shall we say, to prevent complete catastrophe, to prevent total destruction of your planet. One could say these were sort of emergency measures, if you like, to prevent the inhabitants of this planet from an untimely destruction."

"It's amazing how everything fits together in the world of the Illuminati if you are prepared to dig deep enough."

"You won't be surprised to know, therefore, that the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses are the same organisation at the top level where the Elders of the Mormons and the leaders of the Watchtower Society operate a very different agenda to the one their followers believe."

"How much did Jim Morrison know?"

"The Earth needs rebels!"

"Have you ever wondered what your subconscious mind looks like? Well today, I can show you."

"Don't let them tell you what to think, no matter how "different" your own views may be in relation to the official line. If you are not different in this world of stunning uniformity what on earth are you doing? Baaaaaaa."

"Icke is the former professional footballer who declared himself the Messiah, has endorsed antisemitic conspiracy theories including the Protocols and, in the words of Wikipedia, believes that "many prominent figures belong to the Babylonian Brotherhood, a group of shape-shifting reptilian humanoids". One of whom, I seem to recall, is me."

"We’re deeply disappointed that The New York Times Book Review would print author Alice Walker’s unqualified endorsement of a book by notorious British anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist David Icke. His book And the Truth Shall Set you Free calls Judaism an "incredibly racist" religion which preaches "racial superiority" claims that a "Jewish clique" fomented World War I and World War II as well as the Russian Revolution, and draws heavily on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion for inspiration. He even casts doubt on the Holocaust and condemns the Nuremberg Trials. He has a long history of scapegoating Jews and Times readers should be aware of this before considering his work."

"[On Icke] He's either a smart, opportunistic con man, or he's completely insane, or he's working for "them" directly."

"I had entered the room knowing that Icke thought he was the son of God and that humanoid reptiles were the incarnation of evil, but not a lot more. I'd love to say I gained an insight, listening to him preach, without notes, laser pen in hand and an incomprehensible presentation beamed on to the wall behind him. I'm afraid I can't. He claims people mock him for leaving school at 15, when I – with my university degree – was left flummoxed because, try as I might, I couldn't understand what he was saying."

"[E]very individual accused of reptilian paedophilia by David Icke had so far failed to sue, including Bob Hope, George Bush, George Bush Jr, Ted Heath, the Rothschild family, Boxcar Willie, the Queen of England, the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Kris Kristofferson, Al Gore and the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group."

"Icke never does explain how Jews could have funded the Holocaust if the Holocaust didn’t actually happen."

"He's got his racket, talking for nine hours at a clip. People must walk out of there so exhausted that they believe that they're green reptiles. (...) How cynical are we? How fed up can we be? That we decide that our leaders are powerful aliens, and that it's useless to fight back?"

"That's a lot of hard work gone under the water, under the bridge."

"The players have got to know that we are not firing at them by the seat of our pants."

"If that's foreign strength or that's English strength, it doesn't matter to me."

"I've got to try and educate not only the players but the Derby fans and the board of directors that..."

"If we stand still, we're going backwards. We've got to keep moving forward and appear to be moving forward."

"They know, in that changing room, that the strength is that changing room."

"The way they questioned my decisions was absolutely disgraceful."

"There was pride in the shirt. There was sweat in the shirt. There was blood in the shirt."

"I asked for 11 men and I asked for 5 men as substitutes."

"You've got a good manager."

"If I get the good pictures I was getting at the beginning of the season, Lee Holmes will be knocking at the door."

"We're knocking on the door of success."

"They will watch his decision-making process."

"The walking wounded are starting to walk."

"I don't know what Murdo's talking about."

"Inigo limped out of training but it was a precautionary limp out."

"Inigo is, without a shadow of a doubt, a player."

"Stern is a goalscorer but did not score for us in seven games."

"We've got 8 points from 4 games. That's automatic promotion form."

"His Prozone stats are often in the 80s, 90s."

"It was his elbow. He landed on his elbow. I've just had a little joke with Andy. He went on and pulled off the best two headers of the game with an injured shoulder, arm, whatever it was."

"We impacted upon the substitutions."

"At this moment in time, it's pointing in the direction that the players aren't good enough, to be able to (i) take on the instructions that we give them and (ii) deal with the situation when the pressure is turned up - and it's disappointing. OK, there's a disappointing group of players in there but you keep on shooting yourself in the foot week in and week out. Something has to change."

"The whole team needs solidifying."

"If one or two do go out, hopefully the players we get in will be better players."

"The plans we put in place this week have gone according to plan."

"We used the home advantage to our advantage."

"It's my job not always to put square pegs in square holes but sometimes to put the odd square peg in a round hole."

"The fans were asking me "was I watching?". Of course I was watching."

"His manager is a former player of Derby County and is recommending that Derby County is the place to be, that guy being Mikkel Beck. He speaks very highly of me. It's ongoing again. These scenarios take time."

"You have to be horrible when you haven't got the ball."

"It's vitally important that as manager you make decisions."

"I'm not saying alarm bells are ringing at this moment in time."

"I have spoken to the referee and I spoke to him like a man."

"He will hopefully bring a mentality in both penalty boxes."

"It's Colchester's cup final."

"All the boxes are ticked. The yeses and the positives are coming back from the medical department."

"The fans are starting to get disgruntled with the board, with the players."

"Unfortunately we've come on the end of a loss."

"Nick has thrown his hat into the ring and I've had a long chat with him"

"Dean Marney has also thrown his hat into the ring after Saturday. The more hats there are in the ring, the harder my job is"

"If you score first, you have a 75 per cent chance of not losing the game. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out that you have to get off to a good start and score."

"It was a fantastic result and credit has to go to the players. The application they have shown since I got the job has been first class. They've just asked for four or five days off this week, but I've said I want them back in on Tuesday."

"Lee has been with the physio all week and hasn't trained. David Livermore has trained so the shoe is on the other foot there and he has thrown his hat into the ring."

"Those are the pictures you want from pre-season, so although we beat a Premiership side, I can take those away with me."

"We gave ourselves a hill to climb and we climbed it."

"The lads are on top of the ground at the moment and they look as though they're looking forward to tomorrow."

"Today's draw is another little brick in the wall."

"He had his hands full with Adi Akinbiyi when he came on, he had his hands full with Andy Gray from the start and in other ways he had his hands full with Kyle Lafferty and Robbie Blake as well. He's had four or five strikers coming at him and he's stood up to them manfully."

"When you compare the changing room to last season, there is a massive, massive difference. The changing room now is full of men"

"It's hard to say how long he'll be out but he's 100 per cent doubtful for the weekend, that's for sure."

"I know my best team, but my best team has got 15 players in it."

"You get pictures in pre-season. You get pictures of fitness, you get pictures of attitude, you get pictures of mentality, you get pictures of systems and the way players play and you also get pictures of whether people can step up to the plate in the Premier League. I was getting all those pictures in the first half"

"In any game, you get pictures and at half time there were 11 players who had half a shirt for Saturday."

"For me today, Hull City beat Hull City."

"We were very hopeful of getting Fraizer all the way through. We'll keep in-house what went on, but we were involved with Fraizer until the moment he went to Tottenham."

"The way the game is, players come to a football club with baggage. Whether that's positive or negative, they come to a new club with some luggage. Tony's baggage over the last four or five years has been not playing so many games at Tottenham."

"The other night was like when my daughter was being born and I was in the waiting room. You are waiting for good news and obviously the good news didn't come through this time."

"It's important that you win games at any level."

"I'm looking forward to the game because I think it will be a great spectacle. [...] He's the type of guy that can pull a rabbit out of the hat every so often and I'll be watching out for that."

"Thirty minutes into the game, I was quite comfortable. Then they [...] got two goals back-to-back which certainly turned the game in their favour."

"This is the start of the season for us - an 11-game season"

"I remember being asked at various stages last season "Would you take 17th place now?". Come the last game of the season, the answer was definitely yes. At the start of the season, then the answer was probably yes. But looking back at the season as a whole, then the answer is probably between yes and no."

"Seriously if I had a gun I would have shot the plane down."

"They will carry us over the finishing line every so often, and we’ll carry them over the line other times. It’s a mutual respect at the moment."

"Football is a simple game, twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."

"I always score one against the Germans."

"There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I'm out of order?"

"(in the build-up to the France-Portugal semi final at the 2006 World Cup) "This is the BBC and we will be completely impartial, so allez les bleus. With me tonight holding their lucky coqs sportifs under the desk are...""

"The best place to watch Wimbledon F.C. is teletext. As you can tell, I dislike Wimbledon. Hate them, even."

"[Referring to Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson ] When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds, and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce - I've kept really quiet, but I'll tell you something, he went down in my estimation when he said that - we have not resorted to that. But I'll tell ya - you can tell him now if you're watching it - we're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and... and I tell you honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it!"

"I don't think there is anyone bigger or smaller than Diego Maradona!"

"Brian Moore: Quickly Kevin, you know him best, will he score? Kevin Keegan: Yes"

"(about his wife) in Jean I think I've found the ideal partner... I think... I abuse her."

"Our current financial situation means that if we want to buy, we have to spend."

"The Premier League is in danger of becoming one of the most boring, but great, leagues in the world."

"I'm not as keen, I've got to be honest, and it may not be a view shared. I don't like to listen to ladies talking about the England men's team at the match because I don't think it's the same experience. I have a problem with that."

"The presenters we have now, some of the girls are so good, they are better than the guys. It's a great time for the ladies. But if I see an England lady footballer saying about England against Scotland at Wembley and she's saying, "If I would have been in that position I would have done this," I don’t think it's quite the same. I don't think it crosses over that much."

"What makes him so good? Well, there is nothing he can't do. He is clever. He sees the game quicker than anyone else. He sees the picture. He can play the ball first time round corners that aren't even there. He has got intelligence. He has got physical attributes. He can bomb past people. He is quick. He is a proper, powerful athlete. Give him a header, he will score. He can play in behind the front man. He can get the ball off the back four and control the game from the quarterback position. He is just an immense all-round footballer. I have never seen anyone put it all together like him, never seen someone with so many qualities. I have played with a lot of talented players, but he was better than any of them."

"I find it a disgrace that he didn’t win European Footballer of the Year in 2005 after Istanbul. For me, he is one of the best ever. Whenever you play Liverpool you know you have to get him out of the game. If not, it’s all over for you. “He’s a midfielder and if you look at all the important goals he’s scored - well I can’t even think of a striker in the world who has scored as many important goals, never mind a midfielder. How many times has he done it in the dying seconds of a game? I am trying to think of a striker now who does it - there aren’t any. Think about it."

"For me, and I have always said this, he will be regarded as one of the greatest midfielders ever when he finishes his career. No doubt."

"Yes of course [Gerrard’s one of the best I’ve faced]. For long periods when Liverpool were in trouble, everyone looked to Gerrard and nine out of 10 times he did it. He’s a huge player and what I liked is that he’s shown great loyalty through his whole career to play for Liverpool. It’s very difficult to see how because he had the calibre to play for any big club but he stayed loyal and I have big respect for that. When you look at his qualities it’s hard to see what he didn’t have in the locker. He’s quick, a good passer, good technique, could score goals, a dream midfielder. He had every single quality needed for midfield."

"I'd put him in the top three, not just in England but in the world because he's a complete player. Would I have liked to play alongside him?" I think anyone would love to play with players of that calibre. He's a terrific player; he's a match-winner, so I think he's a player any club in the world would want. Gerrard is a complete player because he can play in every position and can do everything with a football at any time in a game. He's a player who scores goals, who builds the play, he's a sensational player.""

"What I have always liked of Steven is that on the pitch he was very quiet, but was capable of inspiring all his teammates with great strength, not so much with words. His story is one of those stories to be told, one of those fairytales - just like it happened to me - to be narrated to your children and grandchildren. I still remember his face [in Istanbul] and the pain he was in from cramp but he was still going around tackling everybody. He put everything into it. For you guys, he was an example for all the others. I think Steven has been and is an absolutely complete player, because he had personality, technique, he could set the play and also defend, and he could score goals - penalty-kicks, free-kicks. So really a modern, complete player. I have a very clear memory of the final we lost in Istanbul, when he was helping his teammates with difficulties in defence. He started playing at the back and tackled every single player of Milan. But I must say that what probably made the difference was his example for all his teammates."

"In an interview with Gazzetta TV. “I have an incredible admiration [for Gerrard]. When I was at Milan we tried signing him, but it was not possible.""

"The best midfielder I would say is Steven Gerrard. I really rate him as a player and as a man."

"He's one of the players I would have loved to coach, and I thought about him so many times in the past when I was at Milan. But it was impossible because he was very much linked with Liverpool. We had sounded him out but Gerrard's bond with Liverpool was unbreakable. I don't remember exactly what year it was but we did try. Of course, I wanted to pair him up with Pirlo, it was a fantastic combination. Putting Gerrard in midfield with Pirlo. It would have been fantastic."

"Obviously he's one of the best players in the world and I'd like to manage him one time in the future. If you can manage the best players, it's easier to win. I don't know him as a person. I think he's a good man. But the reason I would like to manage him is because I've managed a lot of fantastic players, and he's one of the best players. In Italy, when I played, there were players like [Giancarlo] Antognoni at Fiorentina, Rainer Bonhof in Germany. Today, Gerrard. Full stop. He can be a holding midfielder. He has fantastic shots, passes and skills. He is the complete midfielder."

"But speaking about Liverpool and speaking about honouring the champions, this is my time to honour a champion. It is my time to honour Steve Gerrard.It is with opponents like him that I am the manager that I am, because I learn with my players and I learn with my best opponents. I tried to bring him to Chelsea, I tried to bring him to Inter (Milan), I tried to bring him to Real Madrid but he was always a dear enemy.""

"Lampard was asked, "Who was your best opponent in the Premier league, directly in midfield?" Lampard's answer: "Steven Gerrard. I think over the period of my career playing against Stevie [Gerrard] in those big games against Liverpool when he was on top of his game. You knew he was a force and we had great battles, I had a lot of respect for him as a player even though we had those rivalries. I think as you get older it is much easier to have a view on it rather than that view when you’re playing each other and you’re real rivals. I have to give Stevie complete respect for as a midfield player.”"

"'For me Gerrard can do everything and that's the reason I'd say he was the best of the three if I had to split them ahead of Scholes and Lampard in that order. They are all top professionals and each brought different attributes and strengths but Gerrard can tackle, defend, score goals, head it, make a telling precision pass, dictate the tempo and is a powerful runner. He has a bit more to his game.""

"On a BBC documentary, Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney was asked who was the best player he played with for England. “I’d have to say Stevie [was the best]. For me he’s an incredible player, an incredible leader. He helped me a lot during my early days with England.”"

""For me, it's not about Gattuso against Gerrard, despite what he said. For me, Gerrard is the best player in England. He is a technical player, who plays very hard and with his heart. He is a legend for his club and the best player they've got. I have more respect for him because I remember that final in Istanbul. We had won it but then he played a great game and changed everything. I watched him against Chelsea on Tuesday and he was amazing, unbelievable. I still say I have respect for him and like the way he plays. I am looking forward to playing him again and looking him in the eye before it starts. This will be a very important game for us both."

"“Gerrard will fit in with any club in the world. He’s one of the players in the world that have all what it takes to play for Real Madrid. I want to urge Gerrard to join Real Madrid. If you don’t play for Real Madrid you always feel that something is missing. There is nothing better than wearing Real Madrid’s jersey. This is a big opportunity for Gerrard. I’m not talking money wise, but victories wise. I’m sure that Gerrard has alot of respect towards Mourinho. Steven signing for Real Madrid will be perfect for him.”"

"Kaka wants AC Milan to sign Steven Gerrard, despite the England midfielder recently agreeing a new contract with Liverpool. The Brazilian said: ‘The time has arrived to re-energise a group which has many players at the end of their contracts. Gerrard is a complete player and can play anywhere. I could see him fitting in really well at Milan.""

"Asked who was the toughest English opponent he had faced over the years, Pirlo said, “That night in Istanbul, Liverpool’s fight back was centralized on Steven Gerrard. He was their leader, their star player, their man who made it happen. Carlo tried to sign Gerrard for Milan so we could play together, but he had no interest in leaving Liverpool,” Pirlo, 36, told ShortList magazine. “We could have played together, but now in MLS we will be playing against each other, and I will look forward to that""

"“I have said in the past that at his peak he was the best in the world. I think it was the summer of 2004 I was having a conversation with Florentino (Perez) and I told him I wanted him to partner me in midfield for Madrid. I know the club tried twice but he wouldn’t leave Liverpool. Not many players turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man.”"

"Alex Ferguson is obviously one of the most successful coaches the game has ever had. But I did find his comments about Steven Gerrard very strange. To say he is not a top player is wrong. For two or three years, Steven Gerrard was the best midfield player in the world. Even now he is playing at a high level for ­Liverpool and England."

"‘He is physically and technically precocious. He’s got a good engine and remarkable energy. He reads the game and he passes quickly. I would hate to think Liverpool have someone as good as Roy Keane.""

"He's a player that I really thought a lot of, I had a lot of time for him and rated him. I can't say that about everyone," Zidane told LFCTV. "Why did I like him so much? Perhaps there was something about him that reminded me a little bit of myself. He made a lot of noise out there on the field but was quiet off it, meaning that he was someone down to earth and grounded away from the game who just said what needed to be said. He preferred to do his talking on the field, using his voice, his combative spirit and above all his ability on the ball that could make the difference in a game. I would have really liked to have played alongside him. But he has always remained loyal to his own club, Liverpool, the club of his heart. That also is another characteristic that is particular to him, I don't think there are too many players who have spent their entire career playing for just one club. That is a great strength of his too. It was never possible, because of course he stayed with Liverpool, but I would have loved to play with a guy like him. It's simply that he's one of the few players, and I must come back to his combative spirit here, who is a superb technician, who is great on the ball, but who mixed in those fighting qualities with everything he did."

"When Kaka was questioned by British football magazine Four-Four-Two recently as to who he thought was the best player in the world. "That’s a difficult question," he replied. "If I had to choose three, I would pick Cristiano Ronaldo, because of his skill and speed; Messi, because of his flair and skills; and Steven Gerrard, who for me is the complete modern player.""

"The fans, they look only for forwards, always a forward," Pele told Sky Sports News. "Somebody who scores. "Sometimes you have a player like Gerrard. "For me, for the last five years Gerrard has been the best player in the world. "He is a midfielder, he plays very good. People didn't mention Gerrard, now they mention Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Messi because they are forwards."

"‘Gerrard is an excellent player, absolutely world-class. If I was a manager, everywhere I went I would buy Steven Gerrard. ‘He is what Brazil needs, because he is always looking forward and has a big heart. ‘Two years ago I saw Gerrard play and then I saw him in Tokyo in a game against Sao Paulo. I said then that Gerrard is a great player. To me he is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is an excellent player.’"

"‘He has had a great career winning many things - but it would be a big shame for him if he was never to win the league with Liverpool’. ‘For everything that he has given - he deserves a league title.’ ‘I don't think that is any secret that Real Madrid and Chelsea had big interest in him and that is just the teams the media knew about. ‘He could have played for any team in Europe - but he turned them down. That sort of loyalty should be rewarded with a title.’ ‘England have probably produced the two best midfield players of the last 20 years in Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes,’ ‘There was a point when Gerrard was the best midfield player in the world. It is unusual to get complete midfield players who can do everything, but that is what he was. ‘His legs are not going to be what they were five or six years ago - but his presence and leadership are invaluable for Liverpool.’"

"He is, in my opinion, the best midfielder in the world, and has a track record for delivering on the big occasions."

"He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but Gerrard does more."

"Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, Lionel Messi or Xavi from Barcelona deserved the award more. "Ronaldo is only focused on finishing in front of goal. "I love Gerrard's qualities as a player and a leader. Technically and tactically he is the best. His passion is enormous, he means as much for a great team as George Best. "He is a player who fans can identify themselves with and a man who carries the love for his club on his club badge. There is not another player in the world who combines all those qualities. I like him so much more than Ronaldo."

"He is undoubtedly one of the best midfield players in the world. Any top club would want him in their side."

"“Steven Gerrard would be the captain of my World XI dream team.”"

"“He’s been a reference to all his team-mates throughout the years and is now in history for such a brilliant career at his club for all his life.”"

"His story is one of those stories to be told, one of those fairytales - just like it happened to me - to be narrated to your children and grandchildren."

"My Hero. My Mate"

"“He’ll absolutely be remembered as one of the greats; for me, he is already one of them. There are so many things [that are good about Steven Gerrard]. He is so inspirational. In the key moments he has that difference – a spark that is difficult to define.”"

"“But speaking about Liverpool and speaking about honouring the champions, this is my time to honour a champion. It is my time to honour Steve Gerrard. It is with opponents like him that I am the manager that I am, because I learn with my players and I learn with my best opponents. I learn with my players’ problems, my players’ doubts, my players’ qualities and I learn with my best opponent, with the problems they give me – the way they make me think, the way they make me analyse them and studying the best way to play against them. Steven Gerrard is for sure one of my favourite enemies – an enemy with all the good feeling I can express with that word in football. For sure, in England he is my dear enemy. For sure, he is the one that made me a better manager. To stop him or try and stop him has been very, very difficult. I tried to bring him to Chelsea, I tried to bring him to Inter, I tried to bring him to Real Madrid but he was always a dear enemy,” he said “I want to honour him and I hope Stamford Bridge has the same feeling as I have, which is we need people like him as our opponents.”"

"We are preparing a special weightlifting plan for Gerrard's shoulders because we want him to lift a lot of trophies for us in the next few years."

"Steven Gerrard was awesome today. We were just laughing in the dressing room that at one stage we thought he was heading his own crosses in."

"Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of (Lionel) Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he just might be.If you don't have a player like Steven Gerrard, who is the engine room, it can affect the whole team.When we were winning league titles and European Cups at Real, I always said Claude Makelele was our most important player. There is no way myself, (Luis) Figo or Raul would have been able to do what we did without Claude and the same goes for Liverpool and Gerrard. He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can't learn that -- players like him are just born with that presence."

"An excellent player, in my opinion, he is a modern player because he is a player who runs, marks, knows how to pass, cross, score goals and he is a leader on the field for Liverpool. So he is a player that I would like to have in my team."

"If you were looking for the player you would replace Keane with, it's Gerrard, without question. He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but I think that Gerrard does more for his team than Vieira does. To me, Gerrard is Keane; he is now where Keane was when Roy came to us in 1994. I've watched him quite a lot, and everywhere the ball is, he seems to be there. He's got that unbelievable engine, desire, determination. Anyone would love to have Gerrard in their team. Vieira has done that job for Arsenal for two or three years. But you can see Gerrard rising and rising."

"England have always had individually strong players and I am a huge fan of Stevie Gerrard, He has the heart of a lion and is the icon of the modern footballer with his ability to attack and defend so well.""

"Gerrard is the best player I've ever played with""

"'He is without doubt the greatest player I have ever played with, he has everything. At Liverpool, he is irreplaceable. Every big club has a standard bearer, a home-grown talent, someone with a lifelong commitment to the cause. People come and go but he’s always there. It’s him and 10 others. He’s everything to the side. That’s Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. I can’t even begin to imagine the place without him.'"

"I had really not seen much of him before this season, apart from for England, but wow. I think of him as being at the same level as Pirlo. Vision, technique, but he is powerful as well. Stevie can do anything. It's going to be very difficult for the team to find another player like him in the future."

"In my own position, I was crazy about [Steven] Gerrard. I remember in the Champions League final comeback by Liverpool against AC Milan, you saw him up front, on the wings, and a moment later he was back, marking the playmaker, I have never seen such a complete midfielder.""

"I couldn't vote for Thierry Henry as the Player of the Year because you can't vote for your own team-mates, reveals Vieira. So I voted for Gerrard. In my opinion he's in the top three midfielders in the world, maybe the best right now."I heard what Alex Ferguson said about him being better than me. He's probably right. Gerrard is England's best player and he single-handedly got Liverpool into the Champions League. He is the complete player. He can score, he has a great final ball, he can tackle and he drives his team forward. He is a winner on the pitch, which is why I really admire him."

"When people talk about the best footballers in Europe, they always single out Messi, and Ronaldo, but Gerrard is just as strong, Messi and Ronaldo are special talents and the fact that they are in teams winning the important trophies means they stand out from the rest. Maybe you need to win something to earn the big awards, I don't know, but we all understand how good Gerrard is. "I'm spoilt having a team-mate like Gerrard as I can count on him supplying me with perfect passes. You make the run into the space and however tightly marked he is, he finds a way to get the ball through in perfect condition. "The highest compliment I can pay him is that he's as creative as a Xavi at Barcelona, with something extra as well. When you add his energy, toughness, leadership and goal scoring ability and the result is a fantastic all-round player. "Maybe I am biased because he is my team-mate and friend, but Stevie does not get the credit he deserves either in England or with European fans. This can change in 2010 when he has a chance to confirm his class with Liverpool and in the World Cup."

"Gerrard has been my idol for 10 years and is one of the best players in the world. He is the example of what all midfield players aspire to. He is always there in the heat of the battle, leading by example. He is everywhere you look - in defence, in the middle of the pitch and in attack. I would love to be close to that level."

"I always knew what I wanted to do with my life and career, but I was helped along the way by a few people. I didn't need telling, but when people like Franco (Zola), Wisey (Dennis Wise) and Marcel (Desailly) take the time out to say, 'You've got the world at your feet if you do things right', then you think there must be something to it."

"The careers of Maldini and that of John Terry are very close in comparison. Like Maldini at AC Milan, Terry was born in this club. Like Maldini, he went through the academy at this club. And he can play until he is 40. I don't see a big difference between them as players or people."

"John is naturally somebody who attracts people to follow him, You know how you can dress any way you want, but if you don’t have natural style, it doesn’t matter? John has that leadership naturally."

"I want to thank John Terry for coming into the dressing room and congratulating us, he's a true gentleman."

"He has surprised us all, Maybe he is a bionic man. He recovers very quickly. Maybe he will be on the bench or even start, but we haven’t decided yet. Each injury depends on the person and he is very strong, not just mentally but also physically.""

"If you need help with anything, John is always there. And even he has made mistakes, does he have to be reminded of that all his life,"

"The kid can run through puddles and not make a splash. He is lightning quick and drifts over the ground."

"I don't think the whole World Cup can rely on Theo Walcott but he can certainly come on and make a difference - and why not start him in a game or two? He is an interesting weapon because he can play wide and centrally. Then, once he is in front of the defender, nobody can catch him. He is a fantastic prospect."

"For me, it is not so surprising England chose him. In training we all notice him because he is confident and very quick."

"He is potentially brilliant, and he is going to be exciting, but potential is nothing unless you can produce it. I would think he's way, way, way, miles away from international World Cup football."

"I trained with the lad last season at Southampton for two or three weeks. In all the years I played there was never anything I saw on a training pitch that took my breath away, but he was doing things on the pitch that made me stand up and say 'Wow'. He could go on and make a better player than Wayne Rooney."

"He has the record on 40 metres. I think it's 4.72 seconds or something like that. Certainly Theo could have been a 100-metre runner."

"We're like a bad tea-bag - we never stay in the Cup that long - reacting to his QPR side's defeat in the League Cup (then known as the Carling Cup for sponsorship reasons) to Aston Villa in September 2004."

"To put it in gentleman's terms if you've been out for a night and you're looking for a young lady and you pull one, some weeks they're good looking and some weeks they're not the best. Our performance today would have been not the best looking bird but at least we got her in the taxi. She wasn't the best looking lady we ended up taking home but she was very pleasant and very nice, so thanks very much, let's have a coffee - on the "ugly" win against Chesterfield."

"Apparently it's my fault that the Titanic sank."

"I love Blackpool. We're very similar. We both look better in the dark."

"If you're a burglar, it's no good poncing about outside somebody's house, looking good with your swag bag ready. Just get in there, burgle them and come out. I don't advocate that obviously, it's just an analogy."

"Why haven't they got cameras? The officials can speak to each other easily enough now. Why aren't we using laptops that are linked up and can give a decision in five seconds? A chimpanzee could do it - with not much training. We might as well go back to being cavemen, grab our girl by the hair, drag her into the cave whether she wants to come in or not because we may as well live in that age. We've come forward, haven't we?"

"In the first-half we were like the Dog and Duck, in the second-half we were like Real Madrid. We can't go on like that. At full-time I was at them like an irritated Jack Russell."

"I'd rather do that than build chicken sheds no-one wanted!"

"Reporter: Ian, have you got any injury worries? Holloway: No, I'm fully fit, thank you."

"In football you need to have everything in your cake mix to make the cake taste right. One little bit of ingredient that Tony uses in his cake gets talked about all the time is Rory’s throw. Call that cinnamon and he’s got a cinnamon flavoured cake. It’s not fair and it’s not right and it’s only a small part of what he does."

"The kid makes you sick. He looks the part, he walks the part, he is the part. He's six-foot something, fit as a flea, good-looking - he's got to have something wrong with him....Hopefully he's hung like a hamster! That would make us all feel better!"

"Lampard's better than Gerrard and Scholes. No questions asked."

"I do play with minor knocks at times. I'm not saying I'm a Braveheart compared to others, but I do just get on with it. And I do a lot of extra work, not so much gym work, I won't go in and pump iron, but I do like to do as much as I can on the training pitch. I'll practise my finishing, my passing, my dribbling and my sprints. Maybe that all contributes to that bit of luck I have staying fit. It's something my old man (his father, Frank Sr, formerly of West Ham and England) has instilled in me since I was a kid. Now, if I don't do that bit extra, I don't go into a game feeling I've prepared right."

"I was told I had to do a speech, to say a few thank yous and was lying in bed a couple of nights ago till about 2:30 in the morning thinking what I was going to say. I had it all planned out perfectly, fell asleep - and then was woken up at 4am when my cars were being driven off in the driveway!"

"This award is voted for by journalists, who can be your biggest critic and get on your nerves sometimes, but they all know football and I am very respectful of their thoughts, and very proud they have decided to give me this award this year."

"I would not be the player I am today without him, I would not have improved without my dad. In the early years, he would have me over the park training when everyone else was at home or playing with their mates, I was jumping on the floor, getting up and running again, sprinting - I will never forget that. I thank him for everything he has done in my football life and for being a dad."

"A lot of the reason I am here is because of my strength, my determination and character. I would just like to talk about a girl called Lucy.I went to her funeral today, she was 10 years old. She came to the game against Charlton where we lifted the Premiership trophy. She had a tumor on the brain - really she should have died the week before that game. But she was so desperate to come and see that game, to watch us play. The character and strength she showed made me put everything in perspective.I would like to dedicate this whole award to her, her family, especially her mother, and I would like to say thanks to everyone tonight."

"Lamps is Lamps. When he plays well he is best in the game, when he plays bad, he is the second or the third best."

"What a player. What a man. What an absolute diamond of a footballer. The critics, the haters, they cannot touch Frank Lampard now. Not after last night. Not after that penalty. He won, they lost. He stood tall, they skulked in the background."

"If you'd asked me seven or eight years ago I would have said I wasn't Frank Lampard's biggest fan. But his all-round game has improved massively. He's had to work at his game. I don't think he's been naturally the most gifted player in the world. From what I hear he's a good one to practise and he's improved to be one of the best midfielders in the world. Credit to him for that. He's more of an all-round package now than he was at West Ham when he was probably carrying too much weight, not that he was fat. His goals record is unbelievable, just like Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. We see a lot of players who come on the scene and just fade away. But he seems as hungry as ever and plays lots of games. He looks after his body. He's a fit lad and when you've got a midfielder who can put the ball in the back of the net it's bloody priceless. When you look at him and Gerrard, by God, Fabio Capello's a lucky man to have two such outstanding players. The hallmark of a top player is not to do it over two years but over eight or nine."

"Gary Neville is the club captain but has been injured for the best part of a year now - and Giggsy's taken on the mantlepiece."

"My name was out there in the public arena for people to make assumptions on why I missed a drugs test. That stigma is something that may never go away. I go out there and play for the fans and for my family and for myself and to have that taken away from me in such a way was disheartening and something that really did shock me. I'm man enough to admit that I did cry."

"It was wicked meeting Nelson Mandela."

"His temperament is always there to be questioned because he plays on the edge. That is just the way he plays.It is a cliche but if you took that edge away from Wayne he wouldn't be the same player and I would rather have the Wayne Rooney we have now."

"It hit me like a thunderbolt!"

"Nobody wants to be associated with failing to qualify for the World Cup finals. I cannot imagine the shame of it."

"I set myself high standards on the pitch and know I have not always lived up to them this season"

"Football is the most important thing in my life, but I do have a life outside football and this is one part. The TV, the music, the fashion - it all goes to make up Rio Ferdinand."

"If you come out with racist comments, then I believe you shouldn’t be allowed to come to a football match. Don’t be so narrow minded, you’re bigger than that."

"I was disappointed it wasn't reported that I said Rio Ferdinand was the best defender in the world."

"You're 32, do you think you can make it for another couple of years?"

"I grew up in an era when he was a god to those of us who aspired to play the game. He was a true gentleman and we shall never see his like again"

"It is not just in England where his name is famous. All over the world he is regarded as a true football genius"

"For me this man probably had the greatest name of any player ever, certainly in Britain. I don't think anyone since had a name so synonymous with football in England"

"England did nothing in the World Cup, why are they bringing books out? 'We got beat in the quarter-finals, I played like shit, here's my book'. Who wants to read that? I don't."

"It's alright, I'm not going to steal your breakfast you fat prick."

"You have to face facts. We have not brought quality in. One or two have done all right but not enough to take the team onto the next level. We can't gamble on players who have scored six goals in six games in the fucking Pontins League or in Belgium. I know a lot of the supporters are umming and ahhing about whether to buy their season tickets. They go out and work hard. It is a lot of money to buy a season ticket at our place and they are not getting value for money."

"I was able to string a sentence together and debate issues that went beyond Nuts magazine — and, yes, also capable at the time of mindless acts of violence."

"I've felt under threat this week. I've felt like something is going to happen to me. And I don't say that for anyone to feel sorry for me – I say that for people to understand the reality and the impact that hate speech has, the impact that racism has, the impact that sexism has, the impact that misogyny has on all of us females in the game, in sports broadcasting."

"Little has been heard, to date, from writers once happy to overlook a whole anthology of Barton attacks, including his stubbing a cigar out in another player’s eye, attacks on and off the pitch, and a six-month prison sentence (another was suspended) for common assault and affray. His supporters may even think it proves Barton’s “wokeism” point that, while sustained, occasionally criminal violence barely dented his prospects, some abusive tweets about prominent women will now have ended any he might have had in mainstream sport or cultural appreciation."

"If we played like that every week we wouldn't be so inconsistent."

"Don't go for the player, go for the ball."

"I have never started a fight in my life but I have finished a few... sometimes I shudder when I think about what I have done."

"I don't think tackling is at all acceptable these days... there are a lot of cheats in the game, too."

"Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."

"If he isn't named Footballer of the Year, football should be stopped and the men who picked any other player should be sent to the Kremlin."

"If Shankly was the Anfield foreman, Paisley was the brickie, ready to build an empire with his own hands.""

"When it's over I just want to be able to look in the mirror and say, 'Well, you were a half-decent player.'"

"I don't like compliments. No. I prefer criticisms; prefer to prove them wrong"

"One of the greatest football brains Manchester United has ever had."

"No celebrity bullshit, no self promotion - an amazingly gifted player who remained an unaffected human being."

"“He's not the quickest, he doesn't run the most, he never wins a header, he can't tackle but he's the best player”."

"I love watching little Paul Scholes, he’s so in control of what he’s doing and is always so accurate and pinpoint with his passing – it’s just beautiful to watch."

"“What a player Paul is. Everything about him is just perfect.”"

"There isn't a player of his mould anywhere in the world."

"Paul is football crazy. I've followed him since I took his first-year team all the way through. And while Paul is not very socially confident, give him a group of lads, a football and he's certainly not quiet."

"For me, it's Paul Scholes. He'll do ridiculous things in training like say, "You see that tree over there?" - it'll be 40 yards away - "I'm going to hit it". And he'll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best."

"England have lost their best player."

"I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player."

"I think we were all disappointed because we all know what he can do. He's always in the right position, always seems to be at the end of the box when the ball drops in. The complete midfielder - when he's fit, he's the best. Some go missing but he's in the right place at the right time. He's my favourite player of all-time, unbelievable. If you give him a chance it's a goal, isn't it?"

"People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is. For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed. If he is having a bad game, a teammate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn't notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. These days he doesn't get into the box too many times, which is where you can see his age, but he has developed tactically. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen."

"He is not as good a tackler as you - but I really like him. He's a little boy, but the power in that shot... he can really shoot."

"Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes."

"My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation."

"Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance."

"Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Scholes. He knows how to do everything, and he is one who directs the way his team plays. On top of that, he has indestructible mental strength and he is a genuine competitor."

"He's unbelievable - he's one of the greatest of all time."

"”He is the phenomenon.”"

"“What United have got that Chelsea haven’t is Paul Scholes. I think he is different to anything else in English football.”"

"I am a big admirer of Paul Scholes, he is one of the best players of his generation and I honestly think [Wesley] Sneijder is the only player in the world capable of replacing him."

"I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It's Paul Scholes. Many great players have worn the shirt of Manchester United. Players I worshipped, then lost with my youth in Munich. Players like Denis Law and George Best who I enjoyed so much as team-mates and now, finally, players I have watched closely in the Alex Ferguson era. And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite. I love his nous and conviction that he will find a way to win, to make the killer pass or produce the decisive volley. When a game reaches a vital phase, these qualities seem to come out of his every pore. He's always on the ball, always turning on goal. He's always looking to bring other people into the action and if he loses possession you think he must be ill."

"There is no doubt for me that Paul Scholes is still in a class of his own. He’s almost untouchable in what he does. I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career."

""“Why isn’t he playing for England? It is crazy. Only in England. Scholes is a great, great player. So experienced and still, for me, one of the best in the world in midfield. Manchester United are lucky to have him.”"

"I’ve still got Paul Scholes’ shirt at home which I swapped with him once. When I was at Liverpool he was one of the players I liked most. Maybe he’s not valued as much as he should be in England because of the style of football there and because he keeps a low profile. Perhaps he would have been more valued in Spain, where midfielders like him form part of the ‘ideal.’ Fans in Spain rate him very highly and I admire him a huge amount."

"He’s the best midfielder I’ve ever seen. He can pass, score goals with his left, right, his head – he can do anything. And he can beat a player too, plus he loves to nutmeg you! He's unbelievable."

"“He did not get completely what he deserves as a player because he’s not a “media lion”. He’s not one who runs after the media to be in the papers. I respect that."

"When he passes the ball it stays passed. The ball goes exactly where he wants it to. I have always loved him for that. I played against him once or twice and he is an absolute genius. He is a role model for anyone who wants to play football. He is a joy to watch. In fact, I wish he was 21, then I could see his career all over again."

"I’d go for Scholesy as the club’s greatest ever player. I’ve seen him do things that no other player can do. The way he can control the tempo of games, and his range of passing, are both incredible. We’ve seen over the years that players just haven’t been able to get near him. And you can’t forget his goals either."

"He is one of the top three to five players to have ever played in the Premier League - his passing, movement and technique set examples to everyone, not just younger players."

"Paul Scholes is a role model. For me – and I really mean this – he's the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years. I've spoken to Xabi Alonso about him. He's spectacular, he has it all: the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly. Players love him."

""The one [role model] that stands out the most was Paul Scholes. I look up to him and was lucky enough a couple of games ago to play against United for Villa and I got his top. That's a big thing for me because in my eyes he's probably the best player in the world. Even now, even though he's old, he's still one of the best in the league."

"“For any football player in the Premiership, Scholes is a player you want to emulate. One player does not make a team but there is no doubt that the presence of some players add extra motivation and confidence. Scholes is a player with character and is capable of transmitting that mental strength to his team-mates."

"“I just love Paul Scholes. He’s been the best footballer in our division for the last ten years. He’s a a wonderful player. If they get hold of him and stop him from playing I think Chelsea will beat them.""

"“I’m star-struck when I see Paul Scholes because you never see him. On the pitch you can’t catch him. Off the pitch he disappears.”"

"“At La Masia (Barcelona’s Academy) his name was mentioned a lot. He’s a teacher.”"

"“If he was playing with me, I would score so many more.”"

"“Out of everyone at Manchester United, I would pick out Scholes – he is the best midfielder of his generation. I would have loved to have played alongside him.”"

"“I want to pass like him. Who taught him how to do that?”"

"“Scholes is the best i’ve played with and he helped me a lot when I was young. He’s amazing.”"

"“His technique is unique.”"

"“One of the greats in his position has retired. Was an honor playing with Paul Scholes.. RespectForALegend”"

"“When you talk about the greats of Manchester United, he’s up there with Georgie Best, Bryan Robson, Ryan Giggs and Bobby Charlton just purely for the amount of medals that he’s won, he’s going to be greatly missed by Manchester United.”"

"“Paul Scholes has been the best England midfield player for 30-odd years. You’d probably have to go back to Bobby Charlton to find someone who could do as much as Scholes. When the ball arrives at his feet he could tell you where every player on that pitch is at that moment. His awareness is superb.”"

"“There is not a better midfield player in the world.”"

"“He’s always one of those people others talk about. Even playing at Real Madrid, the players always say to me ‘what’s he like’? They respect him as a footballer and see him as the ultimate.”"

"“It’s a shame he’s not available to play for England. If he was, he’d be the first name in my squad.”"

"“At Arsenal me and Patrick (Vieira) didn’t want to face Scholes. We would avoid him.”"

"“I’m more an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but he has 10 other great players around him every week…Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I’ve ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him, I never felt I could get close to him.”"

"“Just heard Paul Scholes has retired, best I’ve ever played against by a mile. Most technically gifted player in english history. Legend”"

"“Nobody else in the world can play the way Scholes does. The passes he produces all over the field and the way he changes the game is brilliant. Every manager would like him. But luckily he is here and playing with us. Paul practices that all the time. When he has finished training he always goes out and shoots.”"

"He sees the game unlike any other player."

"Nobody on this planet had a range of passing like Paul Scholes. Training every day was a pleasure just watching him. Unbelievable career."

"“The only great English midfielder in my career was Paul Scholes. He has elegance in him. Others were pretenders.”"

"“If you ask footballers to pick out the player they most admire, so many of them will pick Paul Scholes. His passing and shooting is of the highest level and he’s the most consistent and naturally gifted player we’ve had for a long, long time.”"

"United always had many amazing players, but whenever we faced them we were always, always, always scared of what Paul Scholes could do. Ask anyone from that old Arsenal team, they will tell you the same. If you let him play, he can kill you, and for me he was so underrated. The way he plays: one touch, arriving late into the box, the way he strikes the ball, his vision, his passing. Incredible. I know people used to give him some stick for his tackling, but I liked that. He put his foot in, showed some character, had a go, but I liked that about him too. For me he is one of the best midfielders I have ever seen."

"“Good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt.”"

"“One of the best players I've ever seen in my life! Spectacular on training! Playing with him was a joy!.”"

""I think that there have been some outstanding players (in the Premier League era), especially some foreign players who have come in like Eric Cantona. Obviously he didn't quite have the same impact at Leeds as he did at Manchester United. Then there was Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp... but there is only one player for me, and that's Paul Scholes"."

"The best illustration I can give of his talent is that at Manchester United there was always a possession drill in training designed to develop our passing ability, which might be three players against another three players, or six versus six, or nine versus nine. But no matter what the numbers were, the side with Paul Scholes on their team would always win by keeping the most possession."

"I remember when I played against Paul Scholes, from Manchester. And because he is a midfielder, and I am a midfielder, sometimes we would have to confront each other. He is not tall, he is not strong but he is clever. This is very difficult. To play against someone who is clever. And he was fantastic with the ball, clever how he passed the ball, clever how he would see you. That was interesting to talk about afterwards."

""They have two of the world’s best young players in Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but the player who most impresses me is Paul Scholes. He is United’s most important player, he makes most things happen on the field.”"

"“The player in the Premiership I admire most? Easy – Scholes”"

"I'm more of an admirer of Paul Scholes than I am of Ronaldo. Scholes is one of the most complete footballers I've ever seen. His one-touch play is phenomenal. Whenever I have played against him I never felt I could get close to him."

"Scholes was England’s best football player. It was impossible to take the ball from him, and he never mishit a pass. He did not belong on the left flank but that’s where we needed him most. He had played on the left in the qualifying campaign, and sometimes even at Manchester United."

"After picking Scholes as the best Premier League player ever - "I was asked to pick my best Premier League team and he (Scholes) was the first player I picked – I can’t compliment him any higher than that.”"

"Paul Scholes was always unbelievably talented. Quiet. And dirty. When he got his tackle right, it was a great tackle. But when he got it wrong, he could kill someone. He was so talented and a player I feel honoured to have played with."

"Scholes was probably the best English midfielder since Bobby Charlton. Since I have been in England, Paul Gascoigne was the best of those who could lift you from your seat. In his last few years, Paul Scholes elevated himself above Gascoigne. One, for longevity, and two, for improving himelf in his thirties. He was such a brilliant long passer that he could choose a hair on the head of any team-mate answering the call of nature at our training ground. Gary Neville once thought he had found refuge in a bush, but Scholesy found him from 40 yards. He inflicted a similar long-range missile strike, once, on Peter Schmeichel, and was chased round the training ground for his impertinence. Scholesy would have made a first class-sniper."

"For me, Paul Scholes has been the best midfield player in the Premier League. By a mile. He has the lot. He scores and creates goals, he can pass the ball, he can head it, and rounds all this off with a competitive streak."

"[Upon Ryan Giggs taking over as manager and bringing Scholes in as a coach]"Paul Scholes is one of these guys who has few words but the few words are so succinct, accurate and to the point. He is brilliant at it. Many times I would bring in the older guard to discuss certain things that we maybe wanted their opinion on. Scholesy had three or four words – bang, bang, bang. He was such a revelation for me for a young man to be so positive, a decision maker. I think Ryan will get the benefit of that now. That was the first thing Ryan did; he phoned up Scholesy – he was on holiday and called him back.""

"“I was too shy to ask him for advice so I watched him carefully and tried to dissect everything he did. Then I would try to emulate his strengths.”"

"Maybe one small regret is that I never got to play with Paul Scholes - but I was never going to leave Barcelona and he was never going to leave Manchester United."

"Scholes was playing tiki-taka football when nobody in England knew what it was. He was another of those players, like Denis Law or Bobby Moore, who at 15 probably looked as if he wouldn't make it. Too small, you would think -- can't run, dumpy little ginger nut -- but then the ball would come to him and he would dazzle you. He was the best footballer in that Manchester United midfield, better than Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane."

"For me, Paul Scholes is on the same level as Ronaldo. The real Ronaldo, not Cristiano. I always thought he was a great player but after I played alongside him I realised he was Manchester United’s greatest player of all time. He did his talking on the pitch which I respected most."

"The truly great English midfield player of the generation. Didn’t just play the game, he thought about the game. You could see every pass, every decision, was based on his intelligence and understanding."

""“During our active careers, we met a few times on the pitch. I always looked with admiration to his intelligent movement and powerful shooting from long range. Also, his technical skills and accurate passing were remarkable. He is a true legend.”"

"When asked to name the best team-mate he has ever had: “Paul Scholes, The ginger fella.""

"The game minus slow bowling is like bread without butter or, even worse, French cuisine without the sauces."

""Barnacle" Bailey we called him."

"He's like a fish up a tree."

"He's hit the beans on toast."

"Soccer is a magical game."

"Tom Cruise, he’s a lot more famous than me."

"What is a club in any case? Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love."

"When Gazza was dribbling, he used to go through a minefield with his arm, a bit like you go through a supermarket."

"Manchester United dropped points, Liverpool dropped points, Chelsea dropped points, Everton dropped points, so in a way we haven't lost anything at all really, although we dropped all three."

"I'm not going to look beyond the semi-final - but I would love to lead Newcastle out at the final."

"He never fails to hit the target. But that was a miss."

"Eighteen months ago Sweden were arguably one of the best three teams in Europe, and that would include Germany, Holland, Russia and anybody else if you like."

"He would talk to me like I was the best player in the world and I went out at St James’ Park feeling like I was going to play like the best player in the world. I am 5ft 6 or 5ft 7ins tall but I am telling you this: when I put that kit on and I was standing in that tunnel with Bobby Robson, I felt like I was Didier Drogba."

"Bobby Robson is one of those people who never die, not so much for what he did in his career, for one victory more or less, but for what he knew to give to those who had, like me, the good fortune to know him and walk by his side."

"We're ten minutes into the game, nearly eleventh minute. There's lots of space already on the field. Brazil have to come a little bit tighter, Ian. They can't be so expansive, from back to front. Otherwise? The Germans will cut them to shreds."

"That's a Sunday morning goal; it's certainly Sunday morning defending. Simple as you'd like, thank you very much! What a present!"

"Simple as you like. Look at this with the goal. Lovely ball in, Toni Kroos takes his time. Look at this for the pass. Have some of that. Intelligence of Muller. Julio Cesar does well, but Klose is there for the rebound. What a beautiful goal, simple. Running off the ball, incisive passes. Brazil have to watch out; they've already been warned. They're going to go down by a lot more if they continue like this. But, a wonderful achievement by Miroslav Klose."

"Yeah. Look at the space, Ian! Look at the space! Oh, great strike. But, look at this Ian. How bad is that? Simple, no? Ugh! Yes, he gets a bit lucky. That's a lovely strike by Toni Kroos. But is anybody going to close down? Is anybody going to be, make it hard to beat? Are they going to be organized, Brazil? Because at the moment it looks as if eleven players are just running around the field with no idea. Yeah."

"Again! Oh, what can you say? Fernandino, or is it Luiz Gustavo? Gets for? I think it's Fernandinho. But, what a lovely goal. Fernandinho. Yes it helps, when you're three-nil up. But, what a pass by Sami Khedira! Talk about mentally strong, cold as ice. Puts it on a proverbial plate for Toni Kroos to get his second of the game."

"Yeah, they're just too good. But also, this is the worst I've seen Brazil play and start a game. Yes they've started slow in other games, Ian. But, I've never seem them so disorganized. At least France in the quarter-final were nice and tight and compact to try to stop the Germans playing football. Brazil are just all over the place, so open."

"But, they need a goal or two double quick."

"We all fancied Germany today, we didn't think it was going to be this easy."

"Whenever they start defending. Mats Hummels brings the ball twenty yards, and then? I think it's David Luiz dives out of the challenge with him. You're four-nil down! Go and be aggressive and kick somebody! Go and do something to influence this game!"

"Well? I hope the people in the United States are sitting, enjoying this game. Because, they will never see a World Cup semi-final like this. For the rest of their lives. I am shell-shocked!"

"Well? You just repeat yourself all the time, don't you? Ian, how bad is it in this goal? Look, space. Who's picking Philipp Lahm up? Nobody, nobody. The crowd venting their anger, yet again."

"He looks happy to come on the field, six-nil down. Come on Willian, get on there! Score seven, make your country proud. Yeah, they will score again. Germany, won't they? They've got twenty minutes left. If they keep up? Yeah. Look, Marcelo looks as if he can? Can't run anymore. But, Germany will score again if they want. Look at that, I mean? It looks as if Brazil have got nine men on the field; it looks as if it's eleven against nine."

"Defensive displays, and this is just blowing it completely out the water. Nil, seven! I know! Thank? Thankfully, a couple of the people have scored a couple of times. So, they just put the number next to them. Otherwise, there's no space."

"Yeah. We're in a special place, Ian. We've seen some football matches in our time. But, I've never seen? Seen a game like this, or been in a spectacle like this. I'll remember this for the rest of my life. Yeah, yeah. You'd much rather see seven goals than a one-nil defensive display, wouldn't you? At least they're getting entertained."

"It's hard to decipher this game. It's been a very good German performance, but Ian? You cannot underestimate how bad Brazil have been today, it's like? It's like amateur hour watching them. But, their attitude has just been appalling. I know, I keep saying appalling. Because, I'm running out words. They've just given in. They've just completely given in, actually trying to run around and play football."

"But, their lack of effort today has just astounded me. It really has; you could just get ten people sitting around just to work harder than a lot of these players have worked today. Oh, yeah."

"Yeah. This game will be referred to many, many, many, many, years to come. Yes, we're talking about 1950 games now. This game, is going to like that. We will refer to this in fifty years time."

"Have just thrown in the towel; this towel was thrown in. Forty, fifty minutes ago. They're not even getting close to the ball."

"Please, do not adjust your television set."

"Men against boys, Ian. Isn't it?"

"How we started the game and how we're going to finish the game, are just extraordinary. Polar opposites."

"Ian, I think? This will definitely be the best World Cup we'll have ever seen. We're lucky, we're privileged."

"Very proud of this moment that I'm going to be taking on my first job as a head coach. Yeah, so, of course, some apprehension but not in a nervous kind of way, more in a really-excited-to-get-started way."

"Never change a winning team."

"It seemed a pity so much Argentinian talent is wasted. Our best football will come against the right type of opposition—a team who come to play football, and not act as animals."

"We will win the World Cup."

"You've won it once. Now you'll have to go out there and win it again."

"Papa Bouba Diop the man mountain himself is playing as a striker and he's got healey one side of him and Diamante's coming out the over side of him, it's Papa Bouba Diop with the header! It's a goal. It's a goal Jeff....is it David Healy he's running away. Andrew D'Urso playing on sorry my monitor's down again I'm looking over my shoulder, I don't really know the assistant, has he give it? Oh the assistant has it give it I don't think Jeff. No the referee hasn't give it either...don't really know what's happening Jeff ha ha. Could be, could be not ha ha ha!"

"Jeff Stelling: "There's been a red card but for who, Chris Kamara?""

"Chris: "I don't know Jeff, has there? I must have missed that. Is it a red card? I don't know, I don't know, the rain must have got in my eyes, Jeff. No, you're right, I saw him go off, but I thought they were bringing a sub on Jeff. Still nil nil ha ha ha""

"Their football Arsenal is on another level but Spurs are fighting like beavers defending for their lives, It's a terrific game, still one nill" Jeff: "Did I hear that correctly? fighting like beavers? not tigers or lions but beavers those ferocious little devils" Chris: "The game as a spectacle is magnificent. Spurs working like beavers but the football from Arsenal Jeff, well it's out of this world it's sensational, their carving them up as easy as.....well, as easy as anything Jeff"

"Unbelievable Jeff"

"...the German's defense was stretched out like a spandex at Miami Beach...once again the pure genius of Raúl to anticipate the throw-in...the throw-in is perfection...sublime...and the finish is the personification of grace under pressure..."

"...aaaaahhhh...excuse me for being excited...I think I just saw a ghost...a flash of 1960 Di Stéfano or Puskás...that goal has just woken the spirit of Bernabéu himself...astonishing and mesmerizing skill and grace..."

"...magisteeerial...the corner kick sails in...and Ramos leaps...like a fresh salmon from a summer stream...it's an exquisite header...with power and accuracy measured down to a pixel!"

"...it's as electrifying as a hair dryer thrown into a bathtub...look at the balance...the timing...he's like a master thief stealing the silverware in the dark night...the galácticos are gladiators tonight...and Gareth Bale is Spartacus!"

"...absolute precision from the Dark Invader...this one is a death-ray hit from Real Madrid's glamour boy..."

"I've always been a religious person, and I try to think that every disappointment might just be a blessing in disguise. … I pray every day. In the mornings and, before I go to bed. I think it's important to pray not just when things are going bad."

"I have a better understanding of my body now. … Everyone wants to feel fresh in the game – there’s no better feeling – so I just make sure I’m doing the right things and trying to tick every box: , massage, eating the right things. … I think I’ve managed [to adopt veganism] successfully. … I don’t find anything hard to give up, as such, because I know the feeling scoring goals gives me. … I just want to try to play as long as I can. So I do the stuff that will give me the best opportunity to perform and score goals."

"And then can I have the naked chef David Beckham?"

"In football I enjoyed competing and wanted to be the best.That was also part of it.There were quite a few factors.I loved the game,it was a great way to socialize and I liked playing against girls because it meant competing on a level playing field."

"Football was just the playing I enjoyed at first,but the longer you're playing the more it becomes a social event.You meet new people and make new friends.I still know some of the people I played with when I was 11-years-old, which is nice."

"I think any sport needs to be accessible, affordable and practiced within the confines of a safe environment.Parents who have young children want to be able to leave their child somewhere which has good facilities and where they're going to be looked after."

"I think part of being a good coach is knowing how to extract the best from different people."

"A great football team is the right balance and the right mixture of players.Good leaders, good communicators and good technicians.You need people that are strategically astute.People need passion, desire and most importantly, a willingness to keep learning."

"In order to play some sports there's quite a big cost implication, whereas football is relatively cheap.All you need is a ball and a couple of jumpers to practice."

"I think you can learn lots of skills playing football.Team building is one.You also learn how to solve problems within your team. Sometimes you find yourself playing with players that you don't necessarily like, but you have to put your differences aside for the good of the team.It gives you skills that you may not appreciate at the time."

"There are lots of positives to come out of playing all sports, not just football.Team games can offer you different life skills than an individual sport can.Football improves your time management you have to be places on time and disciplined in terms of training."

"If you want to make it as a sportsperson, become knowledgeable in the sport you want to participate in.Think about the sport and what it can offer in its entirety.You shouldn't want to become a professional sportsperson because of the money.There's a lot more to gain from being involved in sport. Work hard to get what you want.If it's your ambition, go for it.You don't have to be the best in the world to make it as an elite athlete.You need to be a grafter and be prepared to sacrifice."

"It will never be off my back, sadly. That's something that will live with me for ever ... I've learned a million things from that day and the years that followed it ... When something goes wrong in your life it doesn't finish you and you should become braver, knowing that you've got to go for things in life and don't regret because you didn't try to be as good as you might be."

"Last summer, 1.3m children had access to food support, through my relationship with Burberry children have a safe place to be after school where they will be fed, following the November investment vulnerable children have safe places to go this summer holiday, and due to my relationship with Macmillan 80,000 children now have a book to call their own."

"It was all much simpler than today - naive, looking back on it," Stiles says. "It wasn't until '70 in Mexico that there was any hint of medical stuff. Alf's preparations for Mexico, by the way, were incredible. They'd be reckoned obsolete by today's standards but in them days they was revolutionary. No stone was left unturned. He even took HP Sauce out there. I'll always remember that: HP Sauce on the tables. But for '66 we were at home, nothing special needed."

"What is the problem? ... Don't you dare touch me ... cos I need freedom."

"Jay-Z has come from basically nothing and is now a billionaire. That takes more than desire and guts, it takes execution and a plan, direction and confidence"

"You need to sacrifice some things for football."

"But I’m just someone who always wants to just play football, so I try not to let the external noise get into me. I like to stay grounded."

"I’m constantly striving for the next thing, the next victory, the next landmark in my career. I suppose it’s one of the best assets, but it also means I’m never truly satisfied with what I have or what I have just achieved."

"I’ve always had the view that, when I’ve retired and I look back on my career, then I’ll be happy and proud of my achievements."

"But while I’m in the thick of it, it’s always about, ‘What can I do next? What is the next thing I haven’t won or the mission I haven’t completed?’"

"I wanted to be playing with the best players in the world and learn a different style of the game. I’ve found another way to enjoy football. I’ve fallen in love with football again."

"Having already played abroad, I know it’s so important to be able to communicate. I want to speak to everyone, I want to be friends with everyone, so it’s important that I learn."

"That feeling of winning is so addictive. And the feeling of not winning is super horrible as well – I’m not a great loser."

"There was no stereotypical roles in my household and I think that allowed both myself and my siblings to be raised in a way like that where there was no judgement. It was just support."

"There’s now a place for women in the game to speak about their journeys and what has happened to them on the way. I think small changes are being addressed but for me I think a lot of what we see is more token gestures."

"If you want to get rid of any discrimination you have to really go to the heart of it and it can’t be about doing things because they look nice or enhance somebody’s reputation. It has to be heartfelt and there needs to be a desire to actually make a real change to the game behind the scenes."

"There’s part of you as a female athlete where you have to be grateful for what you get but also pushing to get more."

"Naturally, you’re just always looking for the best in everything you do and football is no different. We want it to be a huge spectacle."

"It’s important for experienced players to remember that younger players are aspiring to be like you and will copy your actions as well as what you say."

"People write you off as a right back. The superstar is the striker or the playmaker."

"I think it’s easy to take motivation from other people. When people have great things to say about you, who doesn’t like that."

"Everyone loves the accolades, everyone loves people saying “oh you’re the best player” but what happens when that stops? Where are you going to get your motivation from? You have to have your own motivation to be able to keep you at the top."

"People aren’t going to like you 24/7, people don’t like me 24/7."

"I think if you stop and look too much at those accolades, you might forget that there’s always more you can do."

"There’s always another trophy to win."

"As I’ve got older I’ve realised that I don’t need to prove myself every single minute and wind people up by doing it."

"I think it’s important to feel confident in what you’re wearing, so now I take the approach that I’m going to wear something because I think it looks cool. I don’t care what anybody else thinks."

"I've heard so many stories of older men and women - because it's not just men, it's a whole generation - who say they won't watch women's football and then they come and watch you play and say 'wow, that was really good'."

"Before, I was so worried about doing the same as everyone else, always comparing: ‘She’s on the training pitch so I need to go on the training pitch today,’ and then I’d just break down eventually."

"It is understanding my body, knowing when I need to take an extra day recovery, knowing when I need to do more recovery; like now I do recovery every day."

"Women's football has such a platform now. It can only go from strength to strength. I just hope it encourages girls who might not have taken up the game to do it now."

"People tweet me saying they have just seen me in town. It's great. But I just want to get on with the football. Just enjoy it - that's all I want to do."

"I know that on my day I can be unstoppable. But it’s important to do that every single week without fail."

"I do put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. I think that’s only natural."

"I’m my own worst critic and I can recognise that."

"It’s important to focus on getting better and trying not to add pressure because ultimately, when I’m enjoying it I play my best football week in, week out."

"I still need to remind myself that I’m still so young. Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to perform when there’s still so much time."

"I’ve said to myself, Lauren, if you do pick up trophies you do need to take a moment to remember how far you’ve come, because those moments don’t come around too often."

"It is very important for female footballers that we are role models."

"It makes you understand who we are. We fought during our work to change the mind."

"I've always had a voice, I just haven't had the courage to use it."

"But now, I think that if you believe in something or can help make a change for the better then it is important to speak up."

"As footballers, we are in a position of great opportunity. People look at us. We need to make sure that we deliver the main message."

"You have to stand there against people who are probably not supporting women's football and tell them you need more money. That, in itself, takes a lot of guts. At that point, it wasn't easy to win people over."

"Expectations and perceptions have changed around women's football, but they will know that they'll have to play their part in increasing the popularity of the game."

"How that will inspire so many young girls and boys to talk about women's football and make it the norm."

"It's looking positive, but it's probably a similar thing with both the men and women's team, they need to have a stronger mentality of knowing they have to win."

"For players of my generation – and before – there wasn’t money in the game. You were doing it because of your passion."

"I think every female footballer can relate to a woman working in a male-dominated area and championing it. We need to make sure that we support each other."

"I’ve been trying to encourage both boys and girls to get involved in football. There are so many life skills you can learn from football… I want kids to understand the game is for everybody."

"There are many things you can get out of football that you can take into the world of work."

"I don’t think we give kids enough respect for what they understand."

"When you let children lead, you see their minds work in a way that’s different to ours because we’re moulded to think a certain way as we get older."

"I hope people will look at women’s football as the norm."

"Confidence is key for any footballer."

"To be honest, everybody thought that I was a boy."

"We all have fears. And it takes a lot to be brave, be confident, and talk about it. And you never know what it may lead to."

"Well, if I had campaigns and images like these as a young girl, my journey might have been somewhat different, and I’d have felt more empowered to simply be myself."

"I think one of the most frightening statistics is that one in three women don’t want to participate in sports because of how their skin looks. When you’re faced with that statistical reality, it would make you want to be a part of anything that can help change that."

"Everything today is so visual and forced upon us – girls and women especially – that we feel as if we have to accept and apply a standardised version of what’s ‘beautiful’."

"It’s important that they feel like they can be who they’d like to be and move how they’d like to move."

"Yeah, I think there are a lot of tangible barriers that you see regarding women’s sport, especially football. But, I feel what’s often overlooked are the intangible ones; the societal barriers that have been plaguing us for years for example."

"We’re often told to be quiet or be careful, which as a way of growing up, I find to be quite unhealthy. So, already being able to talk about your skin with other people allows you to celebrate it, as you’re all in the same boat. That’s really important to me."

"As athletes, too, you’re prone to thinking about your physical appearance because of how much you’re in the public eye. You question whether you should post one picture instead of another because of how you might look, and those pressures come from wider societal perceptions and expectations of how women should look."

"People don’t realise how much football can do beyond on the pitch."

"Having females and people of multi ethnic and minority groups in higher-up positions will give young people the hope that they can reach the top too."

"I want people to see that women are capable and accepted. I want to see people like me in powerful positions to know they’re looking out for women like me too."

"I think you never want to be playing on someone else’s misfortune, but luckily we found out that Keira’s injury obviously wasn’t too long-term or serious, so that is brilliant news."

"To be honest when I found out I wasn’t picked for the April camp I actually thought that was my World Cup dream over."

"I think for a couple of days I really thought I’ve worked so hard all season, and it’s just not meant to be, but we had some really important games at Manchester United, obviously fighting for the league title and the FA Cup final."