Team Progression Quotes

I was about five or six when I went to the little foundation camps. I got into the academy when I was nine, and I've gone through every age group since and into the first team.

In Holland you go into amateur teams, come up through the ranks and are generally spotted for senior or professional football. At 16, I had made it into a men's amateur team, and was picked up professionally from there.

The Process is never going to end. It's an ongoing thing. I don't think it's ever going to stop. As I have explained before, it's a process for making it to the playoffs, it's another one to make the conference finals, another one to actually go to The Finals and win the championship.

It looks like things are changing in north London. Tottenham have gone down a road they've never been down before. They've kept their best players and pushed young English ones through. They've started to match Arsenal - who were light years ahead - by building a new stadium.

I've been playing for England at every single youth team level, so it's like a natural progression into the seniors, and I'm obviously delighted with my progress.

You can't let players do what they wish and be professional. That's a fact. As for the team, Boro had two internationals when I got there in 1995. Now they have more than 15. And they didn't cost the fortune some suggest.

To work with the kids and help them come through from the Academy to the first team would be brilliant.

The more players who come through the academy and make it into the first team, that's what we want. Not just for the club but for the country. If they're young English players coming through, that's fantastic. I'm happy to be part of that.

Football's about the young players, bringing youth team players through to the first team and hopefully getting the best out of them so they can go on to play for their country.

Every great basketball team, every team that's on a championship journey takes steps each year, taking a step further than they were the year before.

I played in the Under 18s when I was 14, then the reserves at 15, and then the first team.

Getting into the senior squad was an important step for me. I can learn a lot, not only on the pitch but also in everyday life.

It is an important duty at Arsenal for the experienced players to show the younger ones that there is a chance to make it into the first team.