--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was in League One I certainly…" description: "\"When I was in League One I certainly didn't imagine that I would be playing the Euros.\" — Jose Fonte" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg" --- # When I was in League One I certainly didn't imagine that I… ![“When I was in League One I certainly didn't imagine that I would be playing the Euros.” quote by Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg) > “When I was in League One I certainly didn't imagine that I would be playing the Euros.” [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The player reflects on an unexpected career trajectory, from lower‑division football to representing his country at a major tournament. **In simple terms:** From small league to big stage, surprising career path. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected opportunities. Themes sports career ambition humility growth Mood proud inspired Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - team meetings - career counseling - motivational talks Key Concepts determination resilience goal‑setting Questions to Reflect On - What habits helped you seize this chance? - How can others prepare for sudden breakthroughs? A Different Perspective Some may view this as luck rather than skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Euros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euros/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) ## Related quotes > [I couldn't imagine playing someone young now; it would be so boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/i-couldn-t-imagine-playing-someone-young-now-it-would-be-so-boring/) [Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/) > [I can imagine playing in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-van-der-vaart/i-can-imagine-playing-in-america/) [Rafael van der Vaart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-van-der-vaart/) > [I had to sit out for 21 weeks. I got to feel what it would be like if I didn't play, and I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-cauley-stein/i-had-to-sit-out-for-21-weeks-i-got-to-feel-what-it-would-be-like-if/) [Willie Cauley-Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-cauley-stein/) > [I could imagine playing for Fortuna.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul/i-could-imagine-playing-for-fortuna/) [Raul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul/) > [I can't imagine playing a boring gig. Like, a boring audience without reaction, I will play against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-tiersen/i-can-t-imagine-playing-a-boring-gig-like-a-boring-audience-without/) [Yann Tiersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-tiersen/) > [Bayern is an amazing club - I can imagine playing here for many years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rodriguez/bayern-is-an-amazing-club-i-can-imagine-playing-here-for-many-years/) [James Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rodriguez/) > [I couldn't imagine not playing basketball. To me, basketball is what life is all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-couldn-t-imagine-not-playing-basketball-to-me-basketball-is-what/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [It was great to be away at the Euros, playing with the best players in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-carroll/it-was-great-to-be-away-at-the-euros-playing-with-the-best-players-in/) [Andy Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-carroll/) > [I want to highlight that Italy, every year, sends 6 billion euros in cash to Brussels. I cannot give these 6 billion euros to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-salvini/i-want-to-highlight-that-italy-every-year-sends-6-billion-euros-in/) [Matteo Salvini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-salvini/) > [For me, it would be the perfect summer to play in the Euros and then the Olympics. My desire is to play in both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-mata/for-me-it-would-be-the-perfect-summer-to-play-in-the-euros-and-then/) [Juan Mata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-mata/) > [When I was back to 100 per cent fitness, I was able to show what I was capable of. I like to think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-hazard/when-i-was-back-to-100-per-cent-fitness-i-was-able-to-show-what-i-was/) [Eden Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-hazard/) > [I don't think you've ever done enough to guarantee a spot at the Euros.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-calvert-lewin/i-don-t-think-you-ve-ever-done-enough-to-guarantee-a-spot-at-the-euros/) [Dominic Calvert-Lewin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-calvert-lewin/) > [Much of what we buy relies on products from the EU - purchases that British importers make in euros.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-gyimah/much-of-what-we-buy-relies-on-products-from-the-eu-purchases-that/) [Sam Gyimah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-gyimah/) > [The Under-21s was a good experience for me and one I will take into the Euros.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kane/the-under-21s-was-a-good-experience-for-me-and-one-i-will-take-into/) [Harry Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kane/) > [A lot more people are willing to invest in bonds denominated in euros. And there was the fiscal discipline argument, which is that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austan-goolsbee/a-lot-more-people-are-willing-to-invest-in-bonds-denominated-in-euros/) [Austan Goolsbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austan-goolsbee/) ## More by Jose Fonte > [I want to win, and if I have to play bad every game and win I will do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/i-want-to-win-and-if-i-have-to-play-bad-every-game-and-win-i-will-do/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [It's hard when you lose your best players. It's tough. I'm not going to lie. It makes you think, 'What if they didn't leave?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/it-s-hard-when-you-lose-your-best-players-it-s-tough-i-m-not-going-to/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [But what a club West Ham are, such a big club, the supporters are fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/but-what-a-club-west-ham-are-such-a-big-club-the-supporters-are/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [I'm not the same player I was in League One. I am proud of what I achieved because it was all through hard work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/i-m-not-the-same-player-i-was-in-league-one-i-am-proud-of-what-i/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [If you got to Manchester City, if you don't work, you're out of the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/if-you-got-to-manchester-city-if-you-don-t-work-you-re-out-of-the-team/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [You don't want to play in League One and League Two pitches - you want to play on a massive pitch in the Olympic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/you-don-t-want-to-play-in-league-one-and-league-two-pitches-you-want/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [The main thing is to be in the quarter-finals and it doesn't matter if you play beautiful football or if you're playing ugly football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/the-main-thing-is-to-be-in-the-quarter-finals-and-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [It's frustrating to see a club as great as West Ham not really pushing for the top six, they have everything, they have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/it-s-frustrating-to-see-a-club-as-great-as-west-ham-not-really/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [I arrived in the Premier League late at 29 years old - you still have to live 50 years after football. You do your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/i-arrived-in-the-premier-league-late-at-29-years-old-you-still-have/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [When things don't go well, you try to find any kind of excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/when-things-don-t-go-well-you-try-to-find-any-kind-of-excuse/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [I am 33 years of age. I have 500 or 600 appearances. I know what I have done in football. I know how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/i-am-33-years-of-age-i-have-500-or-600-appearances-i-know-what-i-have/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [Understand that once I step on the pitch with the Saints shirt and armband I give my blood, sweat and tears for the club…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/understand-that-once-i-step-on-the-pitch-with-the-saints-shirt-and/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [The passionate fans they have and also the ambition of the manager and the chairman. It was an easy descion to choose West Ham.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/the-passionate-fans-they-have-and-also-the-ambition-of-the-manager/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [I'm going to keep being the good professional that I am. I am going to keep working hard to try and help my teammates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/i-m-going-to-keep-being-the-good-professional-that-i-am-i-am-going-to/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) > [Alan Pardew brought me to Southampton and was a great influence and then we had consecutive promotions under Nigel Adkins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/alan-pardew-brought-me-to-southampton-and-was-a-great-influence-and/) [Jose Fonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) [Explore all 16 Jose Fonte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/) ## More Certainly quotes > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [I'm certainly not a perfect mother, but I'm trying to be what my mother wasn't for me. My mother's battled depression, so I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/i-m-certainly-not-a-perfect-mother-but-i-m-trying-to-be-what-my/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [If we can send a guy to the moon we can certainly go a quarter of a mile and not get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-prudhomme/if-we-can-send-a-guy-to-the-moon-we-can-certainly-go-a-quarter-of-a/) Don Prudhomme > [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in moving mountains - if moving mountains accomplishes God's purposes and is in accordance with His will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/righteousness-and-faith-certainly-are-instrumental-in-moving/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Certainly it is not a democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-ibrahim/certainly-it-is-not-a-democracy/) [Anwar Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-ibrahim/) > [Spain are certainly one of the best teams in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-trippier/spain-are-certainly-one-of-the-best-teams-in-the-world/) [Kieran Trippier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-trippier/) > [I'm certainly not a white supremacist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-stewart/i-m-certainly-not-a-white-supremacist/) [Corey Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-stewart/) > [I certainly know that on our first tour of America in 1968, David Crosby came to see us backstage at the Fillmore East in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hayward/i-certainly-know-that-on-our-first-tour-of-america-in-1968-david/) [Justin Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hayward/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) Browse all 1,298 Certainly quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was in League One I certainly didn't imagine that I would be playing the Euros.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jose Fonte" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-didn-t-imagine-that-i-would-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-didn-t-imagine-that-i-would-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/jose-fonte-31672_certainly_when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-did_1256716.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was in League One I certainly didn't imagine that I would be playing the Euros.” — Jose Fonte", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jose Fonte", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-fonte/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was in League One...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-didn-t-imagine-that-i-would-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-fonte/when-i-was-in-league-one-i-certainly-didn-t-imagine-that-i-would-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```