Quotes About Soccer

I started playing for a team called Cosmos in the Tandridge League before I went for a two-week trial with Palace. They must have liked what they saw.

I went to Cardiff on trial for six weeks and felt I did really well, but then they turned around and said they weren't going to sign me. It was a bitter pill to swallow because Hereford, where I was playing at the time, were scrapping their youth team, so I didn't have any other options.

Going into Chelsea when I was around seven for the trial, there were loads of boys there.

I was at a local club, Penketh United, and Mike Glennie, a Manchester United scout, came to watch me. He spoke to my grandad and offered me trials, but there was also interest from Liverpool, and I had to pick - I was only young, but obviously my heart was with United at the time.

I had trials with QPR where I won all the running drills and after playing a match, I was told that whatever I did would determine if I got scouted. I scored and assisted one, only to be told I didn't put enough crosses in. So I didn't get signed.

When I'm on the field, the trick I like to do most are stepovers. For me, it's a simple, beautiful dribble that also has a point.

It's the first hat trick of my career, so I will treasure the match ball.

If you're playing for five hours you don't want to score goals all the time and I loved dribbling. I could score a goal, but I preferred to dribble.

I'm looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to be playing for Arsenal in the Premier League and Champions League. I will give my best to Arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy.

I always tend to think my goals are beautiful goals. That is what I want to score; beautiful goals, and create beautiful chances for my team-mates.

Today was about execution, period. Every single player, all of us in the dressing room right now, we're embarrassed because that's not the way we want to play soccer.

My view is that you show Messi one side or the other, and if he goes past you, he goes past you. But if he slips it through your legs, then you have to obstruct him and take the foul. Just don't ever let yourself be nutmegged.

As a kid, I mostly played as a No 10. When I was really young, I played as a striker. But I grew a lot when I was older, and when I was 15, 16, I had a big growth, and so I changed a little bit and became slower.

I will be busy playing, getting in shape, and learning English, and being in a smaller town will help me do that. And I want the challenge of trying to get Bolton into Europe for the first time in their history.

I turned up for my first day training with England Under-19s super excited, and I just happened to bang my knee on the floor, and it just blew up. It turned out that I'd completely snapped it in half.

Everyone knows Iker Casillas. We have all followed him being at the top level for so many years. What he has done for the national team is something impossible to equal. But I try and learn from him when we are there,and train the best I can.

At the 2014 World Cup in São Paolo, Brazil, a man kicked a soccer ball to start the games, an event witnessed by a billion people. This by itself was not remarkable. What was remarkable was that this man was paralyzed.

I'd love to play at Wembley. It's special for Barça - and for everyone in football.

I first heard about Common Goal through Juan Mata and knew it was something I'd be interested in.

Once I started playing as a striker, I'd say I looked up to Julie Fleeting and Thierry Henry.

I remember my dad taking me to stand on the Kop at Wrexham to watch Dixie McNeil and Joey Jones, and jumping into his arms when they scored.

Rafa Benitez was keen on defending - all dropping back together if you lose the ball.

I remember being coached at Liverpool, and there was another kid called Toni Silva, and they said, 'You know, instead of blasting the ball, and it goes in, do like Toni does: pass it around the keeper.'

A keeper can almost never catch my shots.