"It's an amazing feeling, playing for your country. So to be voted player of the year is a great feeling and I'd like to thank all the fans who voted for me. ...
"Obviously I want to win more trophies, earn more caps and score more goals. When I finish my career I can look back then on those kind of things, but while I'm still playing I don't want to be looking back. I want to only look forward to the achievements I can get in the future."After [Manchester United] won the Champions League last season we were thinking about the start of the next season straight away. The manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] said straight after the game: 'Make sure we're ready for next season'. It's something that you have to do. You can enjoy the night when you win trophies but after that you're looking forward to winning them again."
“I do get frustrated at times, but aggression has always been part of my game. The desire to win makes me the player I am. Take that away and I’d be totally different. If I’m honest, I’ll never get used to losing!”In The Times, Oliver Kay contrasts Rooney with Owen, past and future:
There are two sides to every coin and, while the furore over Michael Owen’s continued exclusion from the England squad seems unlikely to subside at a time when the attacking options have been severely reduced by injury, the flip side yesterday came from Wayne Rooney. The forward prepared for his 50th appearance for his country tomorrow by citing Fabio Capello as the principal factor in his blossoming on the international stage.The Sun report that Rio Ferdinand should be fit for Wednesday's game (and hopefully therefore our game on Sunday).
The Mirror has some quotes from Ronaldo, originally from Zoo magazine:
"I like people whistling and booing!" he said. "It's normal for fans to do that. There's nothing I can do and it doesn't matter anyway.
"I have to concentrate on the game, so I don't think about that sort of thing. On the pitch I'm a target, but it is difficult to avoid these things. I don't believe that people want to hurt me on purpose.
"In my experience, the game just doesn't happen that way. Truthfully, I've never had any serious problems."
Ronaldo should ask himself some questions. Apart from for the money and the sunshine, why leave the Premier League, and particularly the most lauded team in the world? Why close the door on a dressing room that is free of politics and egos? Why forsake team-mates who will fight for you, not against you? Why turn your back on the guidance of a manager who has made you European Footballer of the Year?
United to Barcelona makes more sense: class acts such as Lionel Messi led by an outstanding young coach in Pep Guardiola. But joining Real? Legendary club, lousy time.
"They have been terrific this season," he said. "Their first-half performance against Lyons in the second leg of the first knock-out round [which they won 5-2 at the Nou Camp] was absolutely brilliant – they were four up in no time. We have to recognise that our threats don't just come from England, the big one will come from Barcelona."I think this is more of a dig at Liverpool than anything, especially as he goes on:
"I'm not sure they have improved a lot from when we played them last season but they have had a better defensive record since Guardiola took over as coach last year," the United manager told Inside United magazine.
"There has maybe been a bit more concentration on defending than there had been in previous times. That's not a criticism of Frank Rijkaard, I just think Guardiola has brought in the awareness that defending is just as important as attacking."
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