Quotes from Marco van Basten

When you feel good and the ball comes just a bit behind you, then you have the option to hold it and lay it back, but you can also do a bicycle kick - that was one of my qualities.

I'm not a good manager.

I think my gymnastic background helped a great deal with my agility when I took up football seriously.

In England there's a lot of money to create a great team like Barcelona.

My first dream as a young boy was to be a gymnast and my first memory of football is of watching Ajax win the European Cup in 1971. It was a time when a great philosophy was being developed at Ajax, making rounded players who were there as a complete team rather than as 11 individuals.

I had nice years at Ajax, wonderful years with Milan, and won something with the national team.

We all love this sport. That's why I will work hard to develop football technically in the way that our sport will give to the fans and the players always emotions and joy.

We have to be careful with time-wasting, the behaviour of the players. There are a lot now who are complaining during the game. We have to think about only the captain able to talk to the referee, not everybody, because we're losing a lot of time.

Sacchi was a good coach. He wanted to play pressure football. The good thing was that he created a good group with lots of discipline. Working together was the key. You had to do your work to help the team and that was all important.

If you have 48 countries in a World Cup, we have more countries who have the joy of participating.

When I was growing up, we didn't qualify for the 1982 and 1986 World Cup and the 1984 Euros. And then suddenly we won in 1988. It goes up and down. We are a small country.

Xavi has won the Champions League three times, the European Championship twice and the World Cup. He's a real football player, a man who focuses on his football, hard work and training instead of the glamour, and that is why he has stayed at such a high level for so long.

For quality and excitement the Champions League is better than the World Cup.

Messi is the best player in the world. If he wins a World Cup, he will be the best player ever.

Two days before the World Cup, it's a good time to be back to your best.

A top-class striker normally plays up on his toes, so he can sprint or go for every ball that falls in his direction.

I feel very honoured that I've been chosen as the best player for 1992 by national coaches with so much football knowhow.

There was a moment in 1996 I had to say: 'I have to try to get healthy.' We made a decision to fuse my ankle. For a sportsman, and I was still only 32, that's the worst choice. But I had to stop the pain.

All the pain I had, it was not worth it. My ankle created so many problems, it affected my day-to-day living. But at that time football was my whole life. Now I am older, I have had a life without football. You can still have a good life - there is more than football.

Lewandowski reminds me a bit of me. I was a bit of a mix of him and Ronaldo. I also understood playing with the others and I could give assists.

Rooney has to remember he is an icon and an example to youth.

Scoring can be simply a matter of confidence. Sometimes it happens easily.

Some players have 18 years in football. But some players are injured before they start. When I thought like that I said: 'If I compare with that I have been very lucky. At least I had 10 years of a beautiful experience that changed my life for ever.'

Cruyff was one of the best, he was my hero and my example. He was a star at the same time as George Best, fantastic to watch. I knew him later on, he became my trainer, my adviser, my team-mate, my opponent. It was easier for me to play with him than to speak to him.