Top 10 Quotes

Throughout my years of following football, I've heard managers and even players say something completely unexpected whether that be in a press conference, post-match interview or even a general interview.

It's the quotes from press conferences and post-match interviews that get remembered best though as they're on live television and when anything is live on television, it's watched by millions of people.

Jose Mourinho is one person who has said some something unexpected during a post-match interview or press conference and a few of his famous quotes are on the list.

Most of the quotes on the list are from my time and ones that I remember being said.

But there are one or two that were said before my time that I know about and have watched online..

Now here is the list:

"I think I'm a Special One" - Jose Mourinho - 2004

"I'm the Normal One" - Jurgen Klopp - 2015

"I want to talk about facts" - Rafa Benitez - 2009

"I think you are an ostrich" - Nigel Pearson - 2015

"He's a specialist in failure" - Jose Mourinho - 2014

"I will love it if we beat them, love it" - Kevin Keegan - 1996

"Go on about about VAR this VAR that, help the officials out, clearly they need help" - Charlie Austin - 2018

"Respect" - Jose Mourinho - 2018

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown in the sea" - Eric Cantona - 1995

"Louis Van Gaal's army" - Louis Van Gaal - 2015

10. "Louis Van Gaal's army" - Louis Van Gaal

Louis Van Gaal's time at Man United didn't go down well, but some of his press conferences were interesting in terms of what he said.

The press conference where he sang his own chant was my favourite moment of him because it was funny and it was iconic.

Before the quote he talked about being told about his Man United dressing room being flat by his two captains, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, who wanted to help him.

He later spoke about his players and what they thought and after doing so, he claimed that his dressing room being flat was a rumour before singing the chant and after he sang the chant, he claimed that both the fans and his players were satisfied about him.

This quote had to be at no.10 because it wasn't as well remembered as the other quotes on the list.

9. "Go on about VAR this VAR that, help the officials out, clearly they need help" - Charlie Austin

Charlie Austin was emotional and passionate when he said this quote after he had a goal controversially ruled out for offside in a game for Southampton against Watford.

I don't think I've heard a player sound so passionate when he said this during his post-match interview and you could tell how frustrated he was in the tone of his voice.

Him saying this quote was in some way a message directed at the Premier League in telling them to bring VAR into the Premier League and what do you know, VAR was brought into the Premier League the following season.

8. "I think you are an ostrich" - Nigel Pearson

Nigel Pearson calling a journalist an ostrich will always be an iconic moment and an iconic quote.

He called the journalist an ostrich because he didn't like the question he was being asked in his press conference after a game his Leicester side had against Chelsea.

He was asked about the criticism his team had received during the season which he mentioned in an answer to a previous question during the press conference, and the journalist must've been unsure what he was talking about when he asked the question.

Leicester were in good form at the time as they were in the middle of their great escape and the journalist was probably thinking about their recent form instead of the whole season, which was what Pearson was referring to and he later asked that journalist if he'd "been on holiday for six months" knowing that he was talking about the season overall.

He said a number of other things during that press conference as well as calling the journalist an ostrich such as "your head must be in the sand", calling the journalist "stupid", "very silly" and "daft, and that the journalist's head "must be in the clouds or away on holiday".

7. "Respect" - Jose Mourinho

Mourinho said many memorable quotes during his time in England but this one came from his time at Man United.

His United had just been comfortably beaten 3-0 by Spurs during the opening weeks of his final season in charge and instead of talking about the game, he reversed the score by mentioning the amount of Premier League titles he's won.

A lot of people were saying at the time he was finished as a manager and he fought back by telling the media to respect him and what he's achieved in the game.

6. "I'm the Normal One" - Jurgen Klopp

11 years after Jose Mourinho announced himself as the Special One at Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp did something similar when he arrived at Liverpool by calling himself "the Normal One.

Klopp calling himself the Normal One told everyone that he's not as arrogant as Mourinho and he wasn't bigging himself up.

He did arrive at Liverpool as one of the best managers Europe after what he did at Borussia Dortmund, but he was humble and didn't brag about his achievements by calling himself the Normal One.

5. "I want to talk about facts" - Rafa Benitez

This quote from Rafa Benitez was the very start of his facts rant which was directed at Alex Ferguson during the season where Liverpool and Man United were both going for the title.

During his facts rant, Benitez mentioned that Ferguson's Man United side had an advantageous fixture schedule around Christmas and that Ferguson himself was able to comment about referees without being punished by the FA.

Ferguson stated before that Liverpool, who were top of the league at the time, would get nervous and Benitez hit back by saying that United may be the team that are nervous because of Liverpool leading the way in the title race.

This rant would in some way turn out to be a turning point in the title race as United would later leapfrog Liverpool and win the title.

4. "He's a specialist in failure" - Jose Mourinho

Mourinho had a heated rivalry with Arsene Wenger during his two spells at Chelsea and calling him a specialist in failure was one quote that summed up their rivalry.

They both clearly didn't like each other due to their different playing styles and personalities and they had a few spats at each other particularly in the media.

This quote highlighted Wenger's lack of silverware in recent seasons as Arsenal were in the middle of a long trophy drought at the time and during that trophy drought, Mourinho won a number of trophies.

But it was disrespectful as Wenger did have a big impact when he arrived in English football and did achieve a great deal of success during his time at Arsenal.

3. "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea" - Eric Cantona

Cantona's famous quote came during a press conference in the aftermath of his kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace for which he was fined £30,00 and was later suspended for eight months.

He didn't say anything for most of his press conference up until he said this iconic quote after which a lot of people thought, what on earth is he talking about.

He was talking about the spotlight always being on him by referring to himself as the trawler, the media as the seagulls following him everywhere he does, and what he might say to the media as the sardines as the media are hoping to give him an answer to whatever question they have for him.

2. "I think I'm a Special One" - Jose Mourinho

Mourinho announced himself in England with this very quote in his first press conference as Chelsea manager which for me is his most iconic and easily his most memorable.

When he said this quote, you immediately knew that he was confident in himself as a manager having said before that he's a top manager, which tells you that he believes himself.

He later proved himself to be the Special One by leading Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League titles in his first two seasons.

The Special One became his nickname in the years that followed and he's still known as it today.

1. "I would love it if we beat them, love it" - Kevin Keegan

This quote from Kevin Keegan had to be my no.1 because it's the most iconic and famous one in Premier League history.

It came in the season where his Newcastle side were fighting it out for the title with Alex Ferguson's Man United team and after the Magpies had let their 12-point lead at the top slip.

Keegan's rant was directed at Alex Ferguson who had questioned the desire of Leeds and Nottingham Forest, who Newcastle were due to play next, in their games against United compared to their games against other teams and he even claimed that Forest were willing to let Newcastle win.

Keegan hit back at those comments in his post-match interview after his Newcastle side's hard-fought win over Leeds by saying that he would love it if his Magpies team were to beat United to the title.

But it wasn't to be as Newcastle would draw their final two games of the season with Man United going on to win the title.

MY TOP 10:

1. "I would love it if we beat them, love it" - Kevin Keegan

2. "I think I'm a Special One" - Jose Mourinho

3. "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea" - Eric Cantona

4. "He's a specialist in failure" - Jose Mourinho

5. "I want to talk about facts" - Rafa Benitez

6. "I'm the normal one" - Jurgen Klopp

7. "Respect" - Jose Mourinho

8. "I think you are an ostrich" - Nigel Pearson

9. "Go on about VAR this VAR that, help the officials out, clearly they need help" - Charlie Austin

10. "Louis Van Gaal's army" - Louis Van Gaal