Gareth Bale

“It's good to have a bad season because you learn a lot about yourself; you become stronger, and you see where you have to improve.”

“My dad's the one who's always been there; he's my hero, you could say. Even when he was working, he'd do anything for me. He's been the biggest influence in my life.”

“I'm a proud Welshman.”

“When I go on a pitch, I just try to enjoy it as much as I can. The more you enjoy it, the better you play.”

“The one player I have looked up to since I was a kid is Ryan Giggs.”

“I think La Liga is the best league in the world.”

“I like looking after my family.”

“Once you win something, yeah, you enjoy it. But then it's on to the next game.”

“I was quite small; then I had a big growth spurt that led to a problem with my back, which stopped me playing for a while. My bones were growing too quick for my weight.”

“There seems to be this thing in football where everything has to be... now!”

“I've certainly not got any famous people's numbers on my phone. It's just not my thing, really.”

“Between 12 and 14, I shot up a ridiculous amount. The muscles were struggling to stretch and grow at the rate my bones were growing. It gave me problems with my back and my hamstrings.”

“Now that sports science is more advanced, we know that there are so many off-pitch factors that can affect how good you can become. If people are telling you to sleep a certain number of hours, eat specific foods, and drink a certain volume of fluids, then you have to be prepared to listen and learn.”

“I still mess around and joke with my family and friends like I did when I was nine or 10. For me, nothing's changed. Sure, I play football, but I try to keep my life off the pitch as simple as possible.”

“You've just got to keep working hard, keep plugging along. That's how great teams win more trophies.”

“I don't go out, so I don't get attention from girls. They're not going to have posters of me on their walls. I just try to get on with my life.”

“As long as I'm playing week in week out, I'm going to become a better player.”

“When I was younger, I had some close friends who always loved European football, and Real Madrid at that time were the dominant force. I remember family holidays when we used to go to Spain, and we'd bring back replica shirts of Real Madrid and pretend to be the players when we played in the park.”

“Every time I pull on a Madrid or Wales top, I run myself into the ground.”

“I don't think I've changed since I was a little kid.”