---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I defend like a man who likes to work too…"
description: "\"I defend like a man who likes to work too because I know that football is not just about what you do on the ball.\" — Joao Moutinho"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/joao-moutinho-12919_defend_i-defend-like-a-man-who-likes-to-work-to_1698047.jpg"
---

#  I defend like a man who likes to work too because I know…

![“I defend like a man who likes to work too because I know that football is not just about what you do on the ball.” quote by Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/joao-moutinho-12919_defend_i-defend-like-a-man-who-likes-to-work-to_1698047.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/joao-moutinho-12919_defend_i-defend-like-a-man-who-likes-to-work-to_1698047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52e/joao-moutinho-12919_defend_i-defend-like-a-man-who-likes-to-work-to_1698047.jpg)

> “I defend like a man who likes to work too because I know that football is not just about what you do on the ball.”

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Playing football reflects broader life values: work ethic, teamwork, and purpose beyond the ball.

**In simple terms:** Football teaches life lessons.

Key Takeaway

Apply sport principles to daily life.

Themes

sports life philosophy teamwork purpose

Mood

motivational thoughtful

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career development
- team projects
- personal growth

Key Concepts

work ethic identity meaning

Questions to Reflect On

- How does sport shape your identity?
- What non‑sport lessons matter most?

A Different Perspective

Sports can’t replace all life skills.

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[Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend/) [Defend Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-like-1043610/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Football Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-just/) [Know Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-football/) [Likes Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likes-work-233312/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [“How can I defend you, when it’s like I’m not even yours?” The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-erickson/how-can-i-defend-you-when-it-s-like-i-m-not-even-yours-the/)

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> [I want to attack like Yaya Toure and defend like Michael Essien so to have both qualities is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-partey/i-want-to-attack-like-yaya-toure-and-defend-like-michael-essien-so-to/)

[Thomas Partey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-partey/)

> [I defend just like my brother Todd lived. He taught me how to play defense by the way he lived his life. I defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-smart/i-defend-just-like-my-brother-todd-lived-he-taught-me-how-to-play/)

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> [“Do not cry like a woman for what you could not defend like a man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-mother-of-the-last-king-of-muslim-spain/do-not-cry-like-a-woman-for-what-you-could-not-defend-like-a-man/)

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> [Defending is easy. You just have to want to defend. It's not like defending is hard. It's just, like, more of an attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-heath/defending-is-easy-you-just-have-to-want-to-defend-it-s-not-like/)

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> [The score is high and very brutal but does not reflect what we saw on the pitch. The first shot on goal was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/the-score-is-high-and-very-brutal-but-does-not-reflect-what-we-saw-on/)

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> [I am not a player who goes on mazy runs - I like to defend. I like to do a job for the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jones/i-am-not-a-player-who-goes-on-mazy-runs-i-like-to-defend-i-like-to-do/)

[Phil Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jones/)

> [I'm an actor that likes to go to work. I like going to work every day. I'm a worker by nature. I'm not someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-m-an-actor-that-likes-to-go-to-work-i-like-going-to-work-every-day/)

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> [It seems the less I do and say, the better everyone likes my work!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/it-seems-the-less-i-do-and-say-the-better-everyone-likes-my-work/)

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> [I'm working for myself; what else have I got to work for? How can you work for an audience? What do you imagine an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-m-working-for-myself-what-else-have-i-got-to-work-for-how-can-you/)

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> [You work enough with someone and you develop a shorthand. You know how he likes to work through the day and he knows where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-strathairn/you-work-enough-with-someone-and-you-develop-a-shorthand-you-know-how/)

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> [I don't want anyone's endorsement. If the public likes my work, they will support me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-sadh/i-don-t-want-anyone-s-endorsement-if-the-public-likes-my-work-they/)

[Amit Sadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-sadh/)

> [I'm very flattered when people I respect like my work. It's like a dream of a little kid when somebody I idolised likes my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-m-very-flattered-when-people-i-respect-like-my-work-it-s-like-a/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

## More by Joao Moutinho

> [We enjoy what we do and, for me, playing football is the best work in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/we-enjoy-what-we-do-and-for-me-playing-football-is-the-best-work-in/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [When I have the ball I try to see as much of the pitch as possible, and movement off the ball helps you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/when-i-have-the-ball-i-try-to-see-as-much-of-the-pitch-as-possible/)

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> [I like playing more than training so I try to be fit to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/i-like-playing-more-than-training-so-i-try-to-be-fit-to-play/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [If I score, the better. But if everyone could choose, they would choose to win and not to score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/if-i-score-the-better-but-if-everyone-could-choose-they-would-choose/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [Ronaldo and Messi, those are the two best players in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/ronaldo-and-messi-those-are-the-two-best-players-in-the-world/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [I do not like to talk about luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/i-do-not-like-to-talk-about-luck/)

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> [What I keep trying in my mind is to work hard in the week to be better for the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/what-i-keep-trying-in-my-mind-is-to-work-hard-in-the-week-to-be/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [The Premier League is the best in the world. It is fascinating because of all the teams, the atmosphere and stadiums. The football is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/the-premier-league-is-the-best-in-the-world-it-is-fascinating-because/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [I changed Portugal to France and France to England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/i-changed-portugal-to-france-and-france-to-england/)

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> [I want to play for a team that plays every competition to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/i-want-to-play-for-a-team-that-plays-every-competition-to-win/)

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> [I don't like to lose, no matter what I am playing. Football, tennis, head tennis, no matter what. If I am playing something, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/i-don-t-like-to-lose-no-matter-what-i-am-playing-football-tennis-head/)

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> [Porto is a club which offers maximum stability to help me show my best level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/porto-is-a-club-which-offers-maximum-stability-to-help-me-show-my/)

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> [If I'm on the field I will give my best to help the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/if-i-m-on-the-field-i-will-give-my-best-to-help-the-team/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

> [It's true I was interested in going to Everton, but I didn't accept the offer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-moutinho/it-s-true-i-was-interested-in-going-to-everton-but-i-didn-t-accept/)

[Joao Moutinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

[Explore all 52 Joao Moutinho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-moutinho/)

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> [My first Olympics memory was watching Haile Gebrselassie in Sydney 2000. His sprint finish to defend his title really moved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/my-first-olympics-memory-was-watching-haile-gebrselassie-in-sydney/)

[Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/)

> [We fight to defend our democratic ideals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/we-fight-to-defend-our-democratic-ideals/)

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[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

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> [I definitely want to defend my 145 belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-nunes/i-definitely-want-to-defend-my-145-belt/)

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> [In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were exterminated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wurzelbacher/in-1911-turkey-established-gun-control-from-1915-to-1917-1-5-million/)

[Joe Wurzelbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wurzelbacher/)

> [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/)

[Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/)

> [“defend women’s right to be wrong, at least occasionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/defend-women-s-right-to-be-wrong-at-least-occasionally/)

[Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/)

> [There are a lot of things you can practise to unsettle teams that defend deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-deschamps/there-are-a-lot-of-things-you-can-practise-to-unsettle-teams-that/)

[Didier Deschamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-deschamps/)

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[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [I'm very willing to defend creative things that I believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schneider/i-m-very-willing-to-defend-creative-things-that-i-believe-in/)

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