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Football Quotes by Tony Adams

55 Football quotes by Tony Adams

All Football quotes Tony Adams’s page

Tony Adams talks about how proud he feels to walk through Arsenal’s door and to carry the club’s history. He also says that saving people matters more than winning trophies, and he warns that gambling is becoming an epidemic in the Premier League. His words show love for the club, a sense of duty, and concern about off‑field problems.

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I would love to see Ozil in behind feeding Aubameyang all day long.

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Arsene, essentially, is not a coach.

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I learned football and life through hard knocks.

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I was married to the club for 23 years so Arsenal are like an ex-wife.

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When I was at the bottom, you see, football was off the radar.

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I think the Emirates is the best stadium in the country.

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To win the league we need great players, like Dennis Bergkamp.

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I have a quick mind. Arsene Wenger always said that.

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Arsene's a gift, he really is a gift. He's got his faults, like all of us, but he's a pure joy to…

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That is the job of the coach to get the best out of his squad of players - not to avoid it…

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Arsene Wenger threw up a whole different way of managing through love, with kindness, consideration and compassion.

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I will have to make tactical decisions, technical decisions and emotional decisions. This time it was a tactical one.

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I think business is more dysfunctional than sport. I thought the sports world was. It's quite interesting.

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I don't think a forward has ever won a title for anyone. It's about the defence, how many goals you concede.

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Ozil for me is one of the best creative players in the world. What he struggles with at times is the defensive…

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You always bring players in better than the ones you've got or don't bring them to the club.

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Back in the day I said in an interview coaching wasn't Arsene's strong point. Actually in the original draft, I said he…

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To be a footballer you have to be a certain type, you have to walk that tightrope near the addictive gene to…

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I think Arsene Wenger is a magnificent physiologist and psychologist. Those are the areas where he excels. He's a lovely man and…

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Sportspeople are competitive and want to be the best. That doesn't make us special and different - but we are! If we…

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I am passionate about working with everyone in the sport to raise the profile of mental health, wellness and resilience, for players…

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I used to play with Steve Bould. We used to play zonal defence. Steve was a zonal defender and he knew how…

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Players are not scared of managers any more. The clubs have done that. Society has done that. The game has done that.…

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He said: 'I've turned down every club in the world.' But he would've been sacked after a year at Madrid. He would've…

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I just think he's been the most successful Arsenal manager of all time. I don't want that spoiled and I see signs…

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In 1987, I was captain of Arsenal and England's centre-half. I walked down Oxford Street and not one person bothered me. Not…

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I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn't got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn't get…

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Don Howe taught me. Terry Burton taught me. Terry Venables taught me. George Graham taught me. They taught me how to defend,…

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Perhaps Arsene thought I might be too challenging for him. He seemed to like an assistant such as Pat Rice or Steve…

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I admire Arsene for sticking to his financial principles, although I wish tactically he could get the balance right between defence and…

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Aaron Ramsey is too good to let go, and to not be an Arsenal player for ever.

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Those that say it is the taking part and not the winning that is important are, for me, wrong. It is the…

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When you go into a football pitch expecting bad things to happen they usually do.

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Play for the name on the front of the shirt, and they will remember the name on the back

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Great keepers and centre-backs were what the English were brought up on.

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You perceive someone when you are playing against them very differently to how they are off the pitch.

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The idea of giving up is really alien to a sportsman who's all about winning at all costs.

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I go to my local football league team - Forest Green - and it's a working-class environment, which is what football was…

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Alex Ferguson wanted to sign me twice, just before Arsene Wenger came to the club. I was ready for a change and…

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Teams who win World Cups usually have a real anchor, such as Sergio Ramos or Fabio Cannavaro.

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More by Tony Adams

Captaining your country, going out at Wembley, captaining Arsenal to 10 trophies, playing your first game - they're all amazing things. But, phew, saving…

I think Ozil, he's a very calm, sweet man, so don't judge him too quickly. He is a talent, and half the job of…

I kept a notebook on the opposition guys because there was only something like five live games on TV per year.

This life is all we've got, mate. Right here, right now.

My experience of the addict is: huge ego and low self-esteem.

In 1987, I was captain of Arsenal and England's centre-half. I walked down Oxford Street and not one person bothered me. Not one. Today…

I really rate Paul Scholes, because he hasn't got the high profile of many of the Manchester United players, he doesn't get too much…

I love Arsenal and I will always be proud to walk through the door as an Arsenal man.

Perhaps Arsene thought I might be too challenging for him. He seemed to like an assistant such as Pat Rice or Steve Bould, both…

I was with Jose Mourinho at Inter, and he said to me that I was 10 or 20 years behind. Whilst I was winning…

I noted all these businesses with massive turnovers and huge profits were not taking responsibility for their workers' mental health and addiction issues. There…

I don't actually like people. I'm a loner and if I had my way I'd just walk my dogs every day, never talk to…

I was married to the club for 23 years so Arsenal are like an ex-wife.

My skin is quite thick now.

Addictions within football, we're talking gambling. Premier League, it's a bit of an epidemic to be honest.