"To mention one is hard, but the level that I am is like in other sports: Formula One, NBA...The best players always follow the best players. They want to be in the top of the game because the other ones are there. You cannot rest because the other ones will pass you. Of course, we fight with everyone, with Neymar, with Messi, Lewandowski, Higuain, with the best players in the world. This is not 'fighting', but it's healthy. We fight to be the best. It's my motivation: to be better than them, year after year." *Cristiano Ronaldo speaks with ESPN about the importance of having healthy competition, during his visit to China PR*

"He has a lot of experience. He is an important player on the pitch, but also important for his team-mates and certainly the young players to show them what you need to do to reach that high standard of football. That means he needs to be a leader off the pitch, and if I see how he’s working and what he’s doing with all the players, it’s really what we want. Every day in training so far and in the friendlies, you see why he’s one of the best in his position and one of the best players." Everton manager Ronald Koeman says Wayne Rooney can lead the Toffees to the next level, speaking with the club’s official website

"I miss him a lot, I miss the guy a lot, I think he’s a fantastic guy. I’m not the kind of guy that gets normally emotional in my job and I did it with him when he left, but I am sure that he’s going to be very good for Everton, and Everton is going to be very good for him." Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho also spoke about Rooney and his impact at the club before moving to Everton this summer

"Now he creates a lot of goals and I think people do not talk enough about what he does for the team. Messi's development is not yet over, he's an incredible player." *Thierry Henry tells Barça TV that he believes Lionel Messi’s development is not done*

“In this case, for me, with all of the different experiences that I've had in the game, my ideas, my vision on a club, what kind of football to play, how that club has to have an identity and be something that people can feel part of -- those are things that mean so much to me. And I love going into every situation and trying to take my ideas and create something that's different and special. So, as I worked through things here, I just felt that that part of it was so exciting.” *Bob Bradley speaks in an exclusive interview with ESPN FC after being named as the first head coach of 2018 MLS expansion club Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)*

"I started defending at 16, before playing as a defensive midfielder. I even played a few games as a striker, but then in my year with Viterbese in the Beretti , Carlo Perrone told me that if I wanted to become someone, I had to become a centre-back." New AC Milan signing Leonardo Bonucci reveals to Milan TV that he played as a forward before solidifying his position as a defender

"I was convinced it was achievable, I trusted who told me, while my leaders had a different perception. I sent Mirabelli at least ten messages a day, with only three words: 'Good morning, or good night, director: Bonucci'." AC Milan head coach Vincenzo Montella talks about the pursuit of trying to sign Bonucci from Juventus, speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport

Australia defender Steph Catley praises her team's historic 1-0 win over USA in the Tournament of Nations, the Matildas' first-ever victory over the Stars and Stripes

"I always feel him, he will never be on his own. But we have to move on, he will face a new situation and we will also go forward, it's nothing problematic, although things will be different without him. He's a great friend." Speaking at an International Champions Cup press conference, Roma captain Daniele De Rossi talks about what it will be like playing without long-time team-mate Francesco Totti, who finished his career with the club after last season

"Tottenham is a really good squad, if they are able to keep all the players. For me, Kane, now, is one of the best strikers in the world. If I had to buy one striker, I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker. He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he's strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left. If you go to buy Kane now, it would be at least £100m." Chelsea manager Antonio Conte speaks of his admiration for Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane, while on pre-season tour in Singapore

"My father was a fanatical Hertha supporter; he took me to my first game as a kid between Stuttgart and Hertha. For us as a family too, it's a great story that Jonathan has secured a contract with Hertha. It's the start of a hopefully long career for him." *Jurgen Klinsmann tells kicker that his son Jonathan Klinsmann’s move to Hertha Berlin is a “great story for the family”*

"This could be my final year and it’s really electrifying. I want to try and enjoy the special aspect of things, like with all experiences. When you go to a place and think that it is the last time, you appreciate the beauty more and want to remember the emotions it brings you forever. It will be special as a season, but I want to make it even more formidable by performing to the best of my ability, which could help Juve repeat the achievements we’ve done in the past. The Champions League has always been a motivation to improve and enjoy some emotions, like facing certain players in certain stadiums." Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon hints that he could be entering his last season as a professional, speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport

"Bayern Munich is just as big a club as Real Madrid, if not even bigger. I always had a lot of respect for Bayern, but when I was mulling over the move to Munich, I looked at the squad and thought: 'There's just as many stars here as at Real and the quality is exactly the same. Above all, I remember Oliver Kahn - one of the biggest personalities in world football. He always represented FC Bayern's never-say-die mentality. Oliver Kahn has a very strong character and he always wanted to win, something I connect to this club. Many players have become legends in Munich." New Bayern Munich signing James Rodriguez speaks of his admiration for former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, speaking with Sport Bild

"We've got a big chance to win the league this coming season. Last season was a good step in my development. I want to build on that. I don't feel the pressure from the fans or media. Only I can put pressure on myself, but I'm trying to keep a lid on things as much as possible." Borussia Dortmund and USA midfielder Christian Pulisic speaks with kicker about his hopes for the upcoming season

USA head coach Bruce Arena, who became the most successful coach in CONCACAF Gold Cup history after the Stars and Stripes’ 2-1 win over Jamaica, celebrates their most recent continental triumph in the dressing room with his players