"I am in the club where I want to be. When I was sacked at Chelsea, I was not in trouble. I had lots of offers. I don't speak about them. I could be working one week after in some of the biggest clubs in Europe. I waited for this chance. I was champion in four different clubs. I want to be champion in every club I have worked. I want to do that at Manchester United." Ahead of Saturday’s English Premier League clash versus Arsenal at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho reiterated his desire to win trophies as Manchester United manager

"I come from a moderately successful footballing family. My father played in the fifth tier of German football while my brother was in the third division, but I was always captivated by the sport. I was always the youngest and the smallest and repeatedly had to hold my own against bigger opponents to make sure I didn’t lose every game. That was a huge incentive for me." Former Germany captain and 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ winner Lothar Matthaus gives some insight into his football upbringing that led to success at the highest levels of the game

"I'm happy here . I've settled in very quickly in this fantastic place. There are a lot of youngsters in the team and the coach is very good and I've found everything favourable. There's still a long way to go, but if we do win the title, I'm going to fly a helicopter over Nice." *Mario Balotelli talks about Nice's Ligue 1 title chances in France with Mediaset*

"A lot of people say bad things about it to me but I don't understand why; the north-east's very underrated. For a start, it's so beautiful - you've got great countryside and great beaches. And great shops in Newcastle. I'd love to stay a Sunderland player for a very long time. I've been here since I was ten and this club has given me an awful lot. I've made friendships I'll have forever." Sunderland and USA midfielder Lynden Gooch talks about his love for his adopted city with the Guardian

“We had a Christmas break and friends of ours wanted to have a party in the city. Nobody saw me because I had a mask. I didn’t feel too good, but I needed a little bit of help and I went out. Then at the end there was one point when you are a little bit drunk, so I lifted the mask and then the next thing there is a picture. The mask? It was Santa Claus!" Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopprecalls a tale of where a party saw him end up being reported on negatively in the German press

"It was emotional. I want to thank the king, and I want to thank the fans and media for getting behind us all the way. I am just disappointed we could not get the three points, but this one point can bring happiness to the Thai people." Thailand coach Kiatsuk Senamuang talks to the New York Times about his team's pride in a 2-2 draw with Australia in Russia 2018 qualifying, in the midst of mourning the death of the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej

“For him, his players’ sexual activity must take place before midnight in order to get a good night sleep – even if they are free tomorrow. He told us this is how he managed to get the best out of Messi and Lewandowski, and for them to avoid the maximum number of muscular injuries.” Talking to L’Equipe du Soir, Samir Nasri explains why manager Pep Guardiola has imposed certain restrictions on his Manchester City players during the current campaign

"This gets us even from the Copa America (USA beat Costa Rica 4-0 in Chicago). We really wanted to give a Christmas gift to our fans and we were able to achieve it. Even though it's early in the campaign, we've taken a good step." Costa Rica coach Oscar Ramirez speaks about his delight with Los Ticos' 4-0 win over USA in the CONCACAF ‘Hexagonal’ round of World Cup qualifying

"I watch as many of his matches as I can, although he plays on the right and I operate on the left. I'm also a fan of David Alaba, though." Following a stellar performance against Mexico in the U-20 Women’s World Cup on Thursday, Germany left-back Anna Gerhardt reveals how she models her game on the playing style of Bayern Munich and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben

"It's not vital to put in a good performance, winning is more important. Ghana are a strong team and have great players. We let their players control the possession, but they still failed to pose any threat on our goal throughout the 90 minutes. I trust in the abilities of the current generation to achieve Egypt's dream of reaching the World Cup." Arsenal and Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny speaks with Ahram Online after Egypt's 2-0 win over Ghana in World Cup qualifying

"The third time was a charm. It was a team effort. We knew we'd have to fight right to the end. We overcame every obstacle and finally managed to beat Japan. We worked together and won thanks to every player, including those who were there in Costa Rica and those who helped us during qualification. It was a team effort and we won by playing as a team." Spain forward Andrea Falcon expresses delight at her side finally earning a result against Japan at a U-20 Women’s World Cup following a 1-0 victory over the Far East nation in Papua New Guinea on Wednesday

“I believe that now is the right time for a new challenge, as I look towards the next chapter of my playing career. I still feel as fit and sharp as ever and I am looking forward to my next adventure. Having now retired from international football, I am ready to focus everything I have on one last major challenge in club football and will be taking time out to consider my options before announcing my next move.” After six successful seasons that included three Major League Soccer titles with LA Galaxy, Robbie Keane announced his plans to find a new club before bringing his illustrious playing career to an end