--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I probably never should have been a…" description: "\"I probably never should have been a professional football player, based on my start! But I worked my way and, obviously, didn't finish the way I wanted..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg" --- # I probably never should have been a professional football… ![“I probably never should have been a professional football player, based on my start! But I worked my way and, obviously, didn't finish the way I wanted. A lot of things went into that.” quote by Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg) > “I probably never should have been a professional football player, based on my start! But I worked my way and, obviously, didn't finish the way I wanted. A lot of things went into that.” [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects that his early expectations didn’t match his career outcome, yet he acknowledges effort and setbacks shaping his path. **In simple terms:** He regrets his start but values the effort and lessons learned. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections and keep learning. Themes sports career resilience expectation growth Mood reflective determined Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career transition - coaching - personal development - handling disappointment Key Concepts self‑efficacy identity adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How do you define success after a setback? - What role does early expectation play in long‑term fulfillment? A Different Perspective Success isn’t solely defined by early talent; external factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Football player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-player/) [Professional football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-football/) ## Related quotes > [The best thing I can say is professional football is a business. When they are recruiting football players, they are not recruiting model citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/the-best-thing-i-can-say-is-professional-football-is-a-business-when/) [Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/) > [As a professional football player, I have known perfectly well from the day I started playing that every day I have to fight for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-figo/as-a-professional-football-player-i-have-known-perfectly-well-from/) [Luis Figo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-figo/) > [The only thing I ever wanted to be was a professional football player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/the-only-thing-i-ever-wanted-to-be-was-a-professional-football-player/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lambert/if-i-could-start-my-life-all-over-again-i-would-be-a-professional/) [Jack Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lambert/) > [It's none of our business, the sexual preference of people. So, I hope if someone's thinking about it, that if they do come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-luck/it-s-none-of-our-business-the-sexual-preference-of-people-so-i-hope/) [Andrew Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-luck/) > [I have used the word football since I was a professional football player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-marsch/i-have-used-the-word-football-since-i-was-a-professional-football/) [Jesse Marsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-marsch/) > [If you want to become a professional football player at any level, when you're growing up, you have to make sacrifices, and it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-coleman/if-you-want-to-become-a-professional-football-player-at-any-level/) [Chris Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-coleman/) > [The success I had as a player, or the career I had as a player, is often based on the guys you play beside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-grimm/the-success-i-had-as-a-player-or-the-career-i-had-as-a-player-is/) Russ Grimm > [I'm all about neutralizing talent and making things fair, and evaluating a player based on what he does all the way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-votto/i-m-all-about-neutralizing-talent-and-making-things-fair-and/) [Joey Votto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-votto/) > [“You get the player, based on what we need, and I will make it work,’ has always been his take on signings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillem-balague/you-get-the-player-based-on-what-we-need-and-i-will-make-it-work-has/) [Guillem Balague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillem-balague/) > [Yes, I am a team player and 'everything is based on the needs of the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-lamela/yes-i-am-a-team-player-and-everything-is-based-on-the-needs-of-the/) [Erik Lamela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-lamela/) > [I used to tell the players that professional football is a part-time profession. I used to tell them it gets you ready for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/i-used-to-tell-the-players-that-professional-football-is-a-part-time/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [Surely, sport is not fundamentally about the safety of athletes. If it were, we'd probably have to ban professional football, right after boxing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/surely-sport-is-not-fundamentally-about-the-safety-of-athletes-if-it/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [In professional football you have to live day-to-day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-villas-boas/in-professional-football-you-have-to-live-day-to-day/) [Andre Villas-Boas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-villas-boas/) > [As a kid, you obviously dream of being a professional footballer. I would watch players like Ronaldo of Brazil and pretend to be him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-bale/as-a-kid-you-obviously-dream-of-being-a-professional-footballer-i/) [Gareth Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-bale/) ## More by Owen Hargreaves > [All eyes are on Haaland and Sancho but Kai Havertz is the one from a German perspective. He is special and he is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/all-eyes-are-on-haaland-and-sancho-but-kai-havertz-is-the-one-from-a/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [When I left Canada for Bayern, people said, 'You'll never make it. You'll be back in a year.' I stopped going to school because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/when-i-left-canada-for-bayern-people-said-you-ll-never-make-it-you-ll/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [Mourinho is almost at his best when he is the underdog like you saw initially when he was at Porto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/mourinho-is-almost-at-his-best-when-he-is-the-underdog-like-you-saw/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [I've just got this huge chip on my shoulder because I've been out for three years and people think I'm dead and buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-ve-just-got-this-huge-chip-on-my-shoulder-because-i-ve-been-out-for/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [I got my big break in the semi-final as a young kid against Real Madrid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-got-my-big-break-in-the-semi-final-as-a-young-kid-against-real/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [I never thought I'd be a teacher in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-never-thought-i-d-be-a-teacher-in-my-life/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [Kante is the best player in the world in his position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/kante-is-the-best-player-in-the-world-in-his-position/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [There were days when I couldn't even walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/there-were-days-when-i-couldn-t-even-walk/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [Paul Pogba - whether you love him or you don't - he's a fabulous player. You've got to get him on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/paul-pogba-whether-you-love-him-or-you-don-t-he-s-a-fabulous-player/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [If you have had double knee surgery you're going to feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/if-you-have-had-double-knee-surgery-you-re-going-to-feel-it/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [In football you have to challenge yourself against the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/in-football-you-have-to-challenge-yourself-against-the-best/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [I don't think there is a better player you can learn from than David Silva.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-don-t-think-there-is-a-better-player-you-can-learn-from-than-david/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [Tactically I'm pretty much German, but with my English head I like to get involved and win tackles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/tactically-i-m-pretty-much-german-but-with-my-english-head-i-like-to/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [I love all sports but I watch a lot of NBA basketball - I have a big hoop outside my house. As a kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-love-all-sports-but-i-watch-a-lot-of-nba-basketball-i-have-a-big/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [I grew up playing football, I loved it. I never really did it as a job but the game has helped me travel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-grew-up-playing-football-i-loved-it-i-never-really-did-it-as-a-job/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) [Explore all 102 Owen Hargreaves quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) ## More Ball player quotes > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I have friends in other industries but if I am training for a wrestling match, I would turn to the best wrestler to train,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/i-have-friends-in-other-industries-but-if-i-am-training-for-a/) [Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I competed every day as a professional football player... You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [“I can’t wait to knock you up and have a whole team of little baseball players around this place!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-sterling/i-can-t-wait-to-knock-you-up-and-have-a-whole-team-of-little-baseball/) [J. Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-sterling/) > [MOST AMAZING FOOTBALL PLAYER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD && IN REAL MADRID](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-amazing-football-player-in-the-entire-world-in-real-madrid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My older brothers were both basketball players so I just grew up around the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brook-lopez/my-older-brothers-were-both-basketball-players-so-i-just-grew-up/) [Brook Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brook-lopez/) > [I'm a basketball player, so I want to do whatever I've got to do to be on the floor and I'm prepared for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-haliburton/i-m-a-basketball-player-so-i-want-to-do-whatever-i-ve-got-to-do-to-be/) [Tyrese Haliburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-haliburton/) > [“Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere. While others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeing-yourself-in-print-is-such-an-amazing-concept-you-can-get-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People say baseball players should go out and have fun. No way. To me, baseball is pressure, I always feel it. This is work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-eckersley/people-say-baseball-players-should-go-out-and-have-fun-no-way-to-me/) [Dennis Eckersley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-eckersley/) > [Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/canada-is-a-country-whose-main-exports-are-hockey-players-and-cold/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [“The great thing about baseball players, from the point of view of personal hygiene, is how seldom they break a sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-great-thing-about-baseball-players-from-the-point-of-view-of/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [A lot of scouts and people are enamored with athleticism and youth. So they take that any day over mature, high-quality basketball players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-brogdon/a-lot-of-scouts-and-people-are-enamored-with-athleticism-and-youth-so/) [Malcolm Brogdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-brogdon/) > [I'm a baseball player. I've done this my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sale/i-m-a-baseball-player-i-ve-done-this-my-whole-life/) [Chris Sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sale/) Browse all 1,395 Ball player quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I probably never should have been a professional football player, based on my start! But I worked my way and, obviously, didn't finish the way I wanted. A lot of things went into that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Owen Hargreaves" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-professional-football-player/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ball player" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-professional-football-player/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/owen-hargreaves-5253_ball-player_i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-prof_696934.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I probably never should have been a professional football player, based on my start! But I worked my way…” — Owen Hargreaves", "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": "Owen Hargreaves", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I probably never should have been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-professional-football-player/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-probably-never-should-have-been-a-professional-football-player/#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 } } ] } ```