The coach has turned into a pumpkin and the mice have all run away.

To be honest, I never realized it. I never really thought that I was going to be really good or not. I just wanted to make my dream come true

Every time I start a year, I start with the objective of trying to achieve everything, without comparing it to how I’ve done in other seasons.

He’s a phenomenal player who has many qualities that year after year he improves. He’s one of the best.

It seems like people want to blame me for everything. Whenever any issue arises, I’m said to have been involved even if I’ve had nothing to do with it. That’s why I always focus on what I know, which is playing football, and try to be very careful with what I say because people always try and twist things.

I always thought about carrying on training and working, chasing my dream.

I want to be world champion, but not to change the perception of others towards me or to achieve greatness like they say, but rather, to reach the goal with my national team and to add a world cup to my list of titles.

This is much more than I dreamed about as a boy. I want to thank football in general for what it has given me.

I don’t know, I’ve liked football since I was a kid and I’ve always dreamt of becoming a professional footballer, I never thought of any other job.

Football has been my life since I was a kid. My style remains the same, I love every single minute I get on the pitch. I know I have a great responsibility, and that there are objectives to accomplish, but I try to have fun too, because that’s what i love to do.

It’s not so easy for us when we play teams who have a different mindset, like Chelsea or Inter Milan, because they have the intention of trying to stop us rather than playing a game that is more attractive for the spectators to enjoy.

I’ve always had a great relationship with my two brothers, I have always had their support in my football and in everything. They’ve been very close to me, and we have a great relationship.

Being a dad changes everything for the better, and I’m really enjoying it.

My family was always present when I needed them and sometimes felt even stronger emotions than me.

I repeat what I always say: I want the best for Argentina in every way. I never try to make trouble for anybody.

It was hard for me because it was such a big change. I left a lot behind in Argentina and unlike other children living at the Masia, I hardly ever got to visit my family. I only saw them once or twice a year and that was very hard for me.

Day-to-day motivation isn’t a problem for me.

I do it because I love it and that’s all I care about.

I am competitive and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we’ve lost. I’m in a bad way. I don’t like to talk to anyone.

I am a normal person. I have the same life as any human being. When I finish playing and doing my work, I have my family and friends, and I live like any other person.

When I retire, I want to be remembered as a good guy.

Just to hear people saying and thinking that [that he’s the best player of all time] makes me very proud indeed. But I try not to think about it too much and just focus on enjoying everything that I have in this life.

The only thing that matters is playing. I have enjoyed it since I was a little boy, and I still try to do that every time I go out on to a pitch. I always say that when I no longer enjoy it or it’s no longer fun to do it, then I won’t do it anymore. I do it because I love it and that’s all I care about

On a personal note, I think it won’t be until after I’ve retired that I’m fully aware of what I’ve done or what I’ve gone on to achieve in my career.

You have got to love the game.

At Barca, we trained every day with the ball.

I want to concentrate on winning things with Barcelona and Argentina. Then if people want to say nice things about me when I have retired, great. Right now, I need to concentrate on being part of a team – not just on me.

I made sacrifices leaving Argentina, leaving my family to begin a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for soccer, to achieve my dream

When I was a kid, my friends would call me to go out with them, but I would stay home because I had practice the next day.

I never think about the play or visualize anything. I do what comes to me at that moment. Instinct. It has always been that way.

I would pass onto any young player to enjoy your football, play your football as you want to play the game, try and enjoy it and make the most of it

If I hadn’t had support, I wouldn’t have been able to fulfill my dreams.

I know how important it is to have a helping hand.

One of the Arsenal players came up to me afterwards and said it had been an honor to be on the same pitch as me. I thought, My God, that is a great thing to say when your team has just lost.

My style of play has always been the same. I never tried to develop a specific style. From very young I just played this way.

Ronaldo was my hero. I loved watching players like Zidane, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, but Ronaldo was the best striker I’ve ever seen.

Many years ago when I first started my career Maradona told me “to enjoy and play as you know”, and that’s stayed with me ever since and is the best advice I’ve been given.

You cannot allow your desire to be a winner to be diminished by achieving success before and I believe there is room for improvement in every sportsman.

Success is often not a one-person story. It requires the dedication and help of the people we meet along the way.

Pressure helps me do things to the best of my ability. I like it. I do not feel pressure; quite the contrary, I always enjoy what I am doing, and that is playing football.

I’m lucky to be part of a team who help to make me look good, and they deserve as much of the credit for my success as I do for the hard work we have all put in on the training ground.

Everything that’s happened to me in my career has been special, even the tough times: they leave marks on you that shape your life.

To be honest, I never realized it. I never really wondered if I was going to be really good or not. I just wanted to make my dream come true.

Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game—I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans, and to try and win.

When you lose, you get up, you make mistakes and you learn. And then you become a better player.

It takes sacrifice as well as talent.

Goals are only important if they win games.

I know how important it is to have a helping hand. In my childhood, I had difficult times because of hormonal problems. If I hadn’t had support, I wouldn’t have been able to fulfil my dreams.

Barcelona is my life, they have brought me to where I am today, I could not leave, I don’t want to leave. My heart stays with Barcelona.

Motivation is not something I struggle with. I love playing football, I love being in training.

Without the help of my teammates I would be nothing. I wouldn’t win titles, honors, nothing.

From the age of three, I played every day-morning, afternoon and night.

It doesn’t matter if I am better than Cristiano Ronaldo, all that matters is that Barcelona are better than Madrid.

For my part, I try to do my bit to make people’s lives more bearable, in particular children across the globe who are having problems.

Little by little, I’m getting better all the time. I’ve not lost the passion to play.

I grow as a player yearly and do not get stuck in a rut. I improve my game in every way possible.

Now, I come home after a game, see my son, and everything is alright.

I like to score goals, but I also like to have friends among the people I have played with.

I have never stopped being Argentine, and I have never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. Barcelona is my home because the club and the people here have given me everything, but I will not stop being Argentine

I still have a lot of room for improvement. For example, I want to shoot equally well with both feet.

my desire to always get better, always want more, always be my top critic, and accept the good and the bad is a trait that accounts for my success.

Being named among the best at something is special and beautiful. But if there are no titles, nothing is won.

I go out and do the best I can in each game, and I don’t think about the fouls other players will commit or whether I might be injured. It only harms you to worry about those things.

I am the happiest man alive and I am happy for myself, for my family and for my country.

This is why I didn’t go out to parties and many other things. I am successful because I made sacrifices for success.

Barcelona gave me everything, they took a chance on me when nobody else would. I never have any desire to play for anybody else, I will be here for as long as they want me.

Being a bit famous now gives me the opportunity to help people who really need it, especially children.

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a happy and smiling child. I always help in any way I can, even if it’s just by signing an autograph. A child’s smile is worth more than all the money in the world.

I never had any problems with my height. I was always the smallest kid at school and in my teams

Always work hard towards your goal.

Hard work is essential to be successful.

In football, as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigour and precious.

Always chase your dreams no matter what.

I am more worried about being a good person than the best football player in the world

Give the opponents more than one reason to stare at your feet.

I used to serve tea at a shop to support my football training.

I have no intention of comparing myself with Maradona – I want to make my own history for something I have achieved.

If I wasn’t paid to be a professional footballer, I would willingly play for nothing.

There are more important things in life than winning or losing a game.

A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of the sheep.

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits, and get on with trying to win.

Sometimes you have to accept you can’t win all the time.

I’ve always dreamed of being a World Champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that maybe it could never happen.

My ambition is always to get better and better.

I’m happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love.

You can overcome anything, if and if only you love something enough.

The best decisions aren’t made with your mind, but with your instinct.

You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.

I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I’m not enjoying it, I will leave football.

It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.

Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift.

When the year starts the objective is to win it all with the team, personal records are secondary.

What I do is play soccer, which is what I like.