--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to master the ball, play with…" description: "\"You have to master the ball, play with confidence and play with character and courage.\" — Mike Phelan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg" --- # You have to master the ball, play with confidence and play… ![“You have to master the ball, play with confidence and play with character and courage.” quote by Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg) > “You have to master the ball, play with confidence and play with character and courage.” [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes mastering fundamentals, confidence, character, and courage in football, underscoring holistic player development. **In simple terms:** Master ball skills, confidence, character, courage. Key Takeaway Develop both skill and mindset. Themes sports leadership confidence Mood motivational focused Type sports instructional When to use this quote - training - matches - team building Key Concepts skill mastery mental toughness Questions to Reflect On - How do you build courage on the field? - What drills improve confidence? A Different Perspective Physical skill alone isn’t enough without mental strength. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I think for any QB, if you play with confidence you play well because you're confident in what you're doing; you're confident in where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cassel/i-think-for-any-qb-if-you-play-with-confidence-you-play-well-because/) [Matt Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cassel/) > [It gives me a lot of confidence to play with my feet, and I have to be focused for 90 minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alisson/it-gives-me-a-lot-of-confidence-to-play-with-my-feet-and-i-have-to-be/) [Alisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alisson/) > [You need confidence to play under pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unai-emery/you-need-confidence-to-play-under-pressure/) [Unai Emery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unai-emery/) > [The only way to get back the confidence is to play and win matches. You can practise as much as you like, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-rusedski/the-only-way-to-get-back-the-confidence-is-to-play-and-win-matches/) [Greg Rusedski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-rusedski/) > [For a lot of guys in this league, it's confidence - once they play a year or two, they start to figure it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-oden/for-a-lot-of-guys-in-this-league-it-s-confidence-once-they-play-a/) [Greg Oden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-oden/) > [“In other words: master the form you want to operate in, get experience, be willing to be imperfect, and then develop the confidence to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/in-other-words-master-the-form-you-want-to-operate-in-get-experience/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I love auditioning because I also get the confidence that I can play the character and the producer is aware of what I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-madan/i-love-auditioning-because-i-also-get-the-confidence-that-i-can-play/) [Radhika Madan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-madan/) > [I have a ton of confidence in myself. You have to, to play this position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-tannehill/i-have-a-ton-of-confidence-in-myself-you-have-to-to-play-this-position/) [Ryan Tannehill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-tannehill/) > [When you don't have that confidence to play three, four hours with a good backhand against Rafa, is just matter of time to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-martin-del-potro/when-you-don-t-have-that-confidence-to-play-three-four-hours-with-a/) [Juan Martin del Potro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-martin-del-potro/) > [With one coach, you have a lot of confidence, and you play well. Then you go with another coach, and your confidence is zero.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-deulofeu/with-one-coach-you-have-a-lot-of-confidence-and-you-play-well-then/) [Gerard Deulofeu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-deulofeu/) > [But basketball was always something I was good at, that I was passionate about. I just didn't have the confidence to play in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/but-basketball-was-always-something-i-was-good-at-that-i-was/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [It was a great experience under Van Gaal. He gave you the confidence to go and play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lingard/it-was-a-great-experience-under-van-gaal-he-gave-you-the-confidence/) [Jesse Lingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lingard/) > [When I have to be aggressive, I play with confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-schroder/when-i-have-to-be-aggressive-i-play-with-confidence/) [Dennis Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-schroder/) > [I lost a little bit of confidence when I lost my minutes, and I started to play again and my confidence came back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bojan-bogdanovic/i-lost-a-little-bit-of-confidence-when-i-lost-my-minutes-and-i/) [Bojan Bogdanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bojan-bogdanovic/) > [When I'm flying, when I'm getting hits, I'm feeling good. I play with more confidence, and confidence is a huge thing on the ice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-oshie/when-i-m-flying-when-i-m-getting-hits-i-m-feeling-good-i-play-with/) [T. J. Oshie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-oshie/) ## More by Mike Phelan > [At times you are going to miss people. When that happens, others have to come to the front and show the calibre that brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/at-times-you-are-going-to-miss-people-when-that-happens-others-have/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [I'm quite open and proud enough to listen to anything really. Be it home, abroad, Premier League, Championships or below that. It's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/i-m-quite-open-and-proud-enough-to-listen-to-anything-really-be-it/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [A club like Arsenal is a fabulous club, it is a well-run club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/a-club-like-arsenal-is-a-fabulous-club-it-is-a-well-run-club/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [It's hard for an up and coming player who has the eyes of Manchester United on them to take that opportunity and then sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/it-s-hard-for-an-up-and-coming-player-who-has-the-eyes-of-manchester/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [Setting points targets is sometimes the worst thing you can do - it puts pressure on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/setting-points-targets-is-sometimes-the-worst-thing-you-can-do-it/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [Strikers can't score every week, much as they would like to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/strikers-can-t-score-every-week-much-as-they-would-like-to/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [Managing people is no different wherever you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/managing-people-is-no-different-wherever-you-are/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [I guess my career has gone in a roundabout way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/i-guess-my-career-has-gone-in-a-roundabout-way/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [There is fierce competition within the city. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to master the ball, play with confidence and play with character and courage.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Phelan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-confidence-and-play-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-confidence-and-play-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/mike-phelan-16203_character_you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-co_757521.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to master the ball, play with confidence and play with character and courage.” — Mike Phelan", "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": "Mike Phelan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to master the ball,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-confidence-and-play-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/you-have-to-master-the-ball-play-with-confidence-and-play-with/#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 } } ] } ```