RENT-A-QUOTE

Last updated : 22 November 2002 By Editor
Phil Neville on MUTV:

"There is one particular paper which seems to have a vendetta against Manchester United and the rest just sprinkle around that.

"The best thing is to just ignore it. If you believe everything you read in the press it can destroy you and I am sure none of the lads ever pick up anything that has been said in the press - all they are doing is concentrating on playing football.

"It is a compliment in a way because they are trying to bring the team down and that is not going to happen.

"We are getting used to the criticism and there is a lot flying around. It is up to the players to stick together, which we have done.

"The supporters have always been brilliant to us so there is no problem there. We have just got to get our season back on track.

"We have had a bit of a wobble but so have Arsenal. They lost four or five games on the bounce but they don't get as much exposure.

"I love Manchester United and this is the only place I want to play my football.

"I have played a lot of games this season and while I have been disappointed in not playing in the last two, it is up to me to get back in the team and stay there."


Giggs on Wales:

"The difference this time is that we have broken away and got off to a great start. Winning breeds confidence and that's what we have now.

"It's great for us. After Italy everyone was on a high, but there's still work to do.

"We have got another game out of the way and we still have maximum points, it's looking good.

"But we must just keep going on with the same mentality and getting the results which will take us to the championships."


Wes Brown:

"It was a bit of a shock to play at West Ham but I had expected to be part of the squad because we have so many injuries. Hopefully now I can concentrate on my football rather than recovering from injuries myself.

"I had a good spell with England in the summer, so it was disappointing to get injured so quickly."


And one who we won't accuse of performing better in the press than on the pitch, Ole in Norwegian paper VG, courtesy of Henki:

Roy Keane (31) is England's most controversial footballer at the moment. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (29) still can't praise his Manchester United captain enough.

"I've learnt an awful lot from Roy Keane. I would almost say he's the one I've learnt the most of, during my time at United. He's definitely someone I look up to.

You'll get a different view of Roy Keane if you read his book, compared to what the papers tell you. Says Ole who's got a signed copy of the book at home and has read it from start to finish.

In his book Keane says "Ole is probably the best signing the club ever made" What do you say about that?

-Of course it's nice when your skipper says things like that about you. But we'll have to wait and see when my career at United is over.

Schmeichel, Cantona. Two good buys; he still rates you the highest.
-Yeah, and Denis Irwin. I rate all three of them above me. But of course it warms you to hear your skipper notice that I try my very best, says Solskjaer who cost £1,3m in 1996.

Keane is controversial and not very popular with a lot of people. What makes you rate him as a person you look up to?

-It's a lot of things. The way he plays and practise. I've learnt an awful lot from Roy Keane. Maybe especially about being injured. He's injured right now. When we get to the training ground in the morning, Roy's been at it for a long time. When we are done, he's only halfway.

He wants to be in his best shape ever when he returns, and works harder then ever before. Also it's his attitude to the sport, the demands he sets to himself and everybody else. It's not enough if you do well for yourself if you don't do well for the team. The success of Manchester United is without doubt down to Roy Keane.

-I will never ever say anything bad about Roy Keane, not even a single word.

Says Ole who skippered Norway to a 1-0 win against Austria.