"Everyone always talks about female athletes inspiring young girls. Of course, we want to do that but why can’t we inspire boys as well? Males make up half of the population, they play the same sport as we do – there’s no reason why they can’t aspire to be like me or somebody else. When I was little, there weren’t any female footballers on the television so when I was playing football with my brother, when I scored a free-kick, I would be like: 'I’m David Beckham!' Now, you can say: 'I’m Steph Houghton!' and it shouldn’t be frowned upon. Steph puts free-kicks into the top corner… Why wouldn’t a little boy want to do that?" Lucy Bronze (ManCity.com)

"Listen, if you ask an Arsenal fan if they’d like to coach Arsenal one day, they’ll say yes. If you ask an Arsenal fan if they’d like to score a goal for Arsenal, they’ll say yes. When I speak about it, it’s a utopia. People get carried away whenever I say that it’s my club, but I have it in my blood – I’m an Arsenal fan. So if you’re asking me if one day I’d like to coach Arsenal, then yes. If you ask if one day I’d like to be Arsenal’s kit man, then yes. If you ask if one day I’d like to cut the grass at the Emirates Stadium, then yes." Thierry Henry (FourFourTwo)

"I take this step very consciously, full of pride and enormous gratitude, but at the same time continue to be very motivated when it comes to the upcoming European Championship tournament. Proud, because it is something very special and an honour for me to be involved with my country. And because I have been able to work with the best footballers in the country for almost 17 years and support them in their development. I have had great triumphs with them and painful defeats, but above all many wonderful and magical moments - not just winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I am and will remain grateful to the DFB, which has always provided me and the team with an ideal working environment." Joachim Low

"That's the stereotype I would want to challenge: That we are good enough to be there and if we're there, we're not there as a tick box. For me I've come through exactly the same pathway and exactly the same tests and challenges as male referees. The challenge of the perception that we don't know what we're doing - it's always been there. It's always been, 'Women don't know the offside rule. Women don't know what football's about so they shouldn't be involved.' I want to be able to support other referees coming through. I always say that once I've finished my career I want to be making sure we've got the next generation of referees and sportswomen coming through. It's really important we create an atmosphere where they feel safe, an environment where they feel safe." Sian Massey-Ellis (Premier League)

"At college, I was so happy because I could express myself how I wanted to and people there viewed me as Black and that’s how I’d always seen myself, but I definitely wanted to learn more about my culture. I felt more alive knowing this is who I am. I was sometimes the only Black player on the US team and didn’t always feel I got the sponsors or the appearances. I was one of the top players but I didn’t look like the others, I wasn’t deemed as ‘this is what soccer players look like’. It became really important to me that when I sign autographs, I was drawn to other kids of colour, because it’s important to give them confidence that they can do what I did.” Shannon Boxx (These Football Times)

"He [Sevilla goalkeeper Bono] was screaming in my face and I was thinking, 'It would be even better to score another goal and that's what happened." Erling Haaland (Sky Sport)

“Obviously, when I was younger, I was really small, so [Lionel] Messi was a perfect example for me of someone who would get kicked about by bigger players. Messi just took to it like a duck to water. Watching him was a real inspiration, to show me that if he's one of the smallest players on the pitch but the best player on it, then why can’t I be?" Scott McTominay (UEFA.com)

"I know first-hand as a former player just how huge the Olympics are as a tournament. I am enormously proud to have this opportunity to lead the GB squad into the Games. We will go there to give everything we have to be successful and I hope we can also use the power of the Games to help women’s football continue to grow in popularity." Hege Riise

“We're not going to give away all the secrets [of the talk]. It was hot, it reflected the difficult moments we had, we lacked a lot in the defensive phase, they took advantage with their full-backs. He asked for more engagement, with little videos. This is what made the difference." Marquinhos on Mauricio Pochettino's half-time speech in PSG's Round of 16 second leg against Barcelona (RMC Sport)

"He is one of the best in the world in that position, that is clear – not only defending-wise but creating as well. He is so important to us." Jurgen Klopp on Fabinho