When you play Futures and Challengers for three, four years, you're playing in obscurity. You play the game for other reasons. You don't play the game for money or attention. You play the game because you like to play. You play the game because you enjoy the journey.
If I play a bad game, I know I played a bad game. If I play a good game, I know I played a good game. So I don't need anyone to tell me if I did good or bad - because I know it.
That's always a concern with a player when he's injured. There's a difference between injured and pain. If a guy's injured, he's injured. Pain is pain. Guys can play with pain. Guys can't play when they're injured.
In the NFL you can't say this game is the biggest game ever and you get all pumped up and you go win and then you're like 'alright we did it' and then you go out and you play bad for the next two or three. Like every week you've got to be ready to go because they're all big games.
Soccer was probably the most fun game I've played because I never walked away feeling like I had a bad game. If you play a position in soccer where you can out-hustle or out-work or out-prepare somebody, it is a lot easier to walk away from the game and say, I gave it my all. I could always try. I could always hustle.
Think about reading: Today, parents would love it if their kids read books more because the parents understand the books. Just over 100 years ago, parents were upset because their kids were reading dime-store novels. Parents would say, "I don't want you inside reading anymore. Get outside and play." I guarantee you, in 50 years or so, parents are going to say, "You're not going outside to play until you finish that video game."
Firstly, before every game, I always speak with my mum. She really encourages me a lot. Then, once I'm out on the field, I say a little prayer for my team and for everyone on the field, both sides, so that nothing bad happens, no-one gets injured.
You can play with a brain that is injured - you can't play with an injured knee. That's the problem.
I would never play an extra year for money. I play the game because I love it. I just so happen to get paid. If I don't feel I still enjoy the game, I can care less what a year is worth. I'm not going to play the game just because of money.
I can't dictate how I play because I'm injured. I've got to go out there and still play.
Game Over is a very frustrating game convention. In short, it means, 'If you were not good enough or did not play the game the way the designer intended you to play, you should play again until you do it right.' What kind of story could a writer tell where the characters could play the same scene ten times until the outcome is right?
I'm never going to stop because I had a bad game. I'm never going to stop because somebody thinks that I can't do something. I'm going to always play the way I feel I should play, because I wouldn't have got to here if I felt like I couldn't.
Yes, there are times where I might play one bad service game a set. If you look at Sampras, he might play one slightly suspect service game every three sets. So to beat someone like that you've obviously got to be right on top of your game. I've basically got to get rid of that in my game so it makes me very difficult to beat.
Everything is not going to go right, not just on the field but also in business. There were times I was injured on the field and could not play for a year or more. It was easy to quit and say, "I can't do it anymore." It taught me I can bounce back. It's the same in business.
When you are young, you sometimes play one good game and then one bad game.
When you are injured - and injured for a while - it is hard. You have to go to the training ground and watch everyone go out to play.