Mario Gomez

“I asked myself whether I would be happy with limited playing time and I decided that wasn't good enough for me.”

“Bayern Munich made it possible for me to achieve the greatest wish of any footballer: Winning the Champions League.”

“I guess there are worse things than being compared to Messi but I don't look at what he is doing. I just try to give my best for my team.”

“Scoring a goal is an explosion of feelings. It's there immediately - bam! Before you kick the ball, you feel like you're 200 kilos. Then the ball leaves your foot, goes through the air and ripples the net. And for that moment, you're weightless.”

“I know from my Real Madrid team-mates Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira and my family in Andalucia that people look up to me in Spain.”

“What matters and what remains are the titles you win with a team. League and Cup, that's what matters.”

“I'll do anything to get a place in the national team.”

“Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.”

“Juventus made a big offer for me, I think it was around €20 million. Stuttgart were thinking about it, but I was the one who declined. I thought it was better for me to stay there and grow as a player before making a big move.”

“Everyone's entitled to be a fan of team and to support his side.”

“It is not always easy to change country.”

“Merkel is a big fan of football.”

“At one point, I asked myself whether I was having fun with the national team, or whether I was just out to convince critics.”

“I am not crazy enough to compare myself with Messi because he is the best there ever was and the best there will ever be.”

“You can't expect our opponents to play cautiously.”

“For me, the most important thing is to be part of the team and contribute to the club's success with my performances.”

“I play this sport because I love football.”

“For me, scoring goals is the most fun. That's why I love soccer so much.”

“As a striker, your job is mostly to forget. When you have someone like Vidic marking you, and it's misery for 89 minutes, all you have to do is forget everything. Forget the 89 minutes. Because in the 90th minute, you might finally get your chance. I have been pretty good at this in my career.”

“Life normally rewards you for hard work.”