the wisdom of Iker

An article full of praise for Iker – how can I not comment on it?

Iker on playing with “galácticos”:

“Nothing can be achieved without humility.”

“Zidane had just won a World Cup, Luis Figo had been a hero at Barcelona and came with a wealth of experience, David Beckham was a name known by almost everyone on the planet; yet playing alongside these guys – it wasn’t so much about being surrounded by stars – despite their names and reputation, you learned that they are just people, exceptionally talented, but regular guys.

“They taught me that while they were all capable of great things, you achieved nothing without hard work.”

Iker on his captaincy:

With his typical modesty, Casillas tries to suggest that the only reason he has been made captain at both club and international level is because “it is one of the unwritten rules of football; the person who has made the most appearances or been at the club the longest usually gets the armband.”

Luis Aragonés on Iker:

“Iker Casillas is the perfect captain. He gets a 10 out of 10 in everything he does: in goal, in his captaincy and in the way he carries himself. He has it all, that’s for sure. The entire Spanish team gets a 10, but Casillas stands out above all of them when it comes to choosing a captain. He is a phenomenon.

Iker on the new players, and his responsibilities:

“It is my job to make a newcomer, like Benzema, feel welcome. To make sure he gets a good reception and to show him that he is joining a bunch of regular guys here, to make him feel at home and not fazed by the experience. Make him feel part of the unit, part of the team.

“That is the most important thing. What is important is that no matter how big the names or the reputations that join us here, no matter how great the individual, we can only achieve great things as a group.”

Iker on Zidane:

“Zidane is the best player I have ever seen in the flesh.”

Iker on la selección:

“Spain has some incredible players at the moment, every one of them has tremendous quality in fact, and we are going through an amazing period. But the atmosphere in the Spanish team is amazing and the sense of camaraderie is amazing. Many of us have progressed through the various international youth levels and some have literally grown up together. Even the younger guys who join up with the team integrate very quickly and feel as if they are a part of the group.”