People From Manchester

"It saddens me that the game has sold its soul to television. What we see now is a televisual game, and it cannot bear the weight of its publicity."

"I always pray before fighting. I pray in the corner, in the hotel room – maybe two hours before I go to the arena. It takes me far – I see a big difference when you pray and go into a fight; you have more strength and also you know God’s helping you."

"I was a mummy's boy; I still am. My mum still gets rid of the spiders off my walls. She comes over, picks them up and chucks them outside. There may be one in my bedroom, and I'll never sleep."

"I’m born in Britain – but my family were born in Pakistan. When I fight, in the crowd you see Pakistani people and you see British people – they’re all mixed together and they support Amir Khan. On my shorts, when I fight, I have the Pakistani flag on one side and on the other side I have the Britain flag – to promote the two countries together."

"At the age of eight, my dream was to become a world champion; and now I've achieved that title. I've achieved it not only for myself, but achieved it for the British people and also the Pakistani community - and all the Muslims in the country. It's a great feeling, a dream come true for me and Insha'Allah in the future, I want to achieve more things like this."

"When I was young, I was very energetic and strong – just too hyperactive. So when I went to the boxing club, everything seemed normal to me. I enjoyed it, I liked punching things, hitting the boxing bag, fighting people in the boxing ring and in school I was naughty as well; but when I started boxing, I totally changed everything – you know, my whole life changed, I was good, I didn’t misbehave, I was always behaving in school. The teacher was happy with my behaviour."

"I don't back any party, I'm better off setting an example."

"Night after night the nightingale came to beg for divine love, but though the rose trembled at the sound of his voice, her petals remained closed to him... Flower and bird, two species never meant to mate. Yet at length the rose overcame her fear and from that single, forbidden union was born the red rose that Allah never intended the world to know."

"Hell is not a place, it's a state of mind and body; hell is obsession with a voice, a face, a name."

"Happiness is like the first blissful intoxication of morphine. It doesn't last very long."

"Awful things!... truly awful. The floor in our dressing room starts to run with blood... disembodied hands come out of the wall and crawl across the stage."

"The more I thought about it, the better I liked the idea. The corps de ballet were already calling me "the Phantom of the Opera," an intriguing sobriquet which appealed to me very strongly, until I realized that it would mean signing my ransom notes P.T.O. One did not wish to descend to the ridiculous! O.G. I became and O.G. I have remained. But I still liked to think of myself as the Phantom."

"Up in box five I blinked in surprised amusement. That was a new one! Little Giry should be writing Gothic novels, not prancing around the stage dressed as a water nymph!"

"Killing is like riding, you see, one never really loses the knack."

"I can make anything disappear, if I really want to."

"I have often thought I would have been quite happy as a spider. Even a spider has the right to a mate."

"Death was the ultimate power and I his eager, willing apprentice."

"Memories are like fireflies darting across the surface of my mind, showing me here and there images so sharp and vivid that I catch my breath in wonder before the vignette disappears, sinking like a pebble into the quicksand of regret and recrimination."

"For a moment I thought I knew exactly how Christ must have felt as He called John."

"Ah, well... hell is full of burning boats, did you know that, Nadir? I daresay that's what makes it so bloody hot."

"My mind has touched the farthest horizons of mortal imagination and reaches ever outward to embrace infinity. There is no knowledge beyond my comprehension, no art or skill upon this entire planet that lies beyond the mastery of my hand. And yet, like Faust, I look in vain, I learn in vain... For as long as I love, no woman will ever look on me in love."

"Shall an invention be patented or donated to the public freely? I have known some well-meaning scientific men … to look askance at the patenting of inventions, as if it were a rather selfish and ungracious act, essentially unworthy. The answer is very simple. Publish an invention freely, and it will almost surely die from lack of interest in its development. It will not be developed and the world will not be benefited. Patent it, and if valuable, it will be taken up and developed into a business."

""“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 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."

"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."

"“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.”"

"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.""

"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 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."

"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."

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

"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 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."

"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.”"

"“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!.”"

"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."

"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."

"“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.”"

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

""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"."

"“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.”"

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