Great footballer quotes

“When they don’t score, they hardly ever win” – Michael Owen

Over the years, Michael Owen quotes have gained somewhat of a cult following, and it’s not too difficult to see why. The above quote was said on live television, as Owen was appearing as a pundit. Referring to Manchester City and the way they play, Owen stated that they’re liable to concede and “when they don’t score, they hardly ever win” and from that moment, a meme was born.

“Aim for the sky and you’ll reach the ceiling. Aim for the ceiling and you’ll stay on the floor” – Bill Shankly

The great Bill Shankly has many inspirational, and some humorous, quotes accredited to him during his managerial career. This particular quote refers to always aiming as high as possible, you may not make it that far, but you’ll get further than if you aim much lower. A great quote to embed into the growth and development of young players, the Scotsman certainly had a way with words.

“Behind every kick of the ball there has to be a thought” – Dennis Bergkamp

Dubbed the “Non-flying Dutchman”, due to his reluctance to fly for European and international fixtures, Bergkamp was a genius on the field and this quote shows it. He started off his career as the main striker, but when Thierry Henry joined Arsenal, he moved to a second striker role and truly found his calling. His immaculate first touch and exquisite eye for a pass saw Arsenal dominate the Premier League, particularly in the “Invincibles” season. This quote is one that should be taught to all young people learning the game and shows that the Dutchman always knew what his next move was going to be.

“If God had wanted us to play football in the sky, he’d have put grass up there” – Brian Clough

The enigmatic and inimitable Brian Clough said what he meant, and he meant what he said. The no-nonsense man from Middlesbrough is one of the greatest football managers of all time and, luckily for reporters at the time, he was guaranteed to come out with a classic quote. This particular quote is a nod to the way in which Clough expected football to be played, on the turf, and was also a dig at those teams that didn’t play that way. The Dutch international team of the 80s are largely credited with developing “total football”, but Clough was instilling it in his sides long before that and got plenty of success because of it. The biggest regret of his career is undoubtedly not landing the England job, due to his many run-ins with the FA.

“I’m going to make a prediction – it could go either way” – Ron Atkinson

Not usually one to mince his words, Big Ron made a bold prediction by firmly sitting on the fence when asked which team he thinks will win a game. What he also failed to realise is that the game could also have ended in a draw, so it in fact could have gone three ways! With gems like this, it’s not hard to see why Atkinson didn’t last very long as a top pundit in the 21^st century.

“Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m the special one” – Jose Mourinho

After guiding Porto to an historic Champions League victory in 2004, a newly cash rich Chelsea swooped in to bring the young Portuguese manager to Stamford Bridge. In his very first press conference as Chelsea manager, Mourinho came out with the above quote, which the press ran riot with and immediately dubbed him the “Special One.” He certainly didn’t hang around, and delivered Chelsea their first top flight title in 50 years in his very first season, going on to win the league again the following season. He also won the League Cup and Charity Shield twice during his first spell with the Blues, before his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich soured and Mourinho walked away by “mutual consent.”