Football Icon Quotes

Some young players think that they want to be like Manuel Neuer.

People like Paul Scholes were in my way at United - what are you going to do with that? You just look at him as an idol. I have watched him since I was a little kid. I couldn't have had a much better teacher.

When I started as a pro at United, I played alongside Bryan Robson in the A-team and later in the senior side. With Bryan, it didn't matter what level we were playing or which one of his team-mates got kicked. Within five minutes, you could guarantee that the opponent in question would be in a heap on the floor, courtesy of Bryan.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a really important player.

I met Pele once. I am not often nervous but in this moment I was shaking. He's a wonderful person.

Neymar is extraordinary.

Ed Reed is a legend. Ed Reed will always be the standard that, as players, we look up to and strive to be like.

Depending on who we're playing, it's just kind of, like, a little starstruck. You know, because these are guys that... I'm playing against Tom Brady or Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, guys like that that I've been watching since high school, that's been doing crazy things.

Messi is undoubtedly a gifted footballer, like Maradona and Pele, and he's playing for the best club side in the world at the moment. He's successful and he's winning trophies, so it's only logical that he'll be voted the best player in the world.

There is only one Messi.

Generally speaking, I think that Frank Lampard is one of the best players in international football.

I do like Peyton Manning. I mean, you can't lose with a guy like that - especially with the amount of touchdowns he's been able to produce.

Football without Messi and Messi without football are not things that go together.

Mario Gotze is a great player, but one of my favourites is Marco Reus, who is a fantastic player, and one of the very best.

My first hero to wear the number 10 shirt was Ronaldinho.

Ronaldinho is the biggest idol in football for me. I like him a lot.

Sad to hear of Paul Scholes retirement! One of the best midfielders to grace the Premiership! Idolised him for years! Legend.

In my early years, I wanted to be like Paul Gascoigne.

Messi will continue to break records.

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.

My brother and I had Henrik Larsson posters everywhere.

Dead at 50. Mike Webster! Nine-time Pro Bowler. Hall of Famer. 'Iron Mike,' legendary Steelers center for fifteen seasons.

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

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated world football for a decade and, given the nature of football, at a certain point the baton will have to pass to someone else. I think Neymar has a great chance of filling that role.

To play with Zinedine Zidane was the biggest honour I have had in my career...