186 Quotes by Gordon Strachan

I’ve had to take a lot of stick down the years but the one thing that really got to me was when someone questioned my integrity. It’s the one thing that really grates with you.

Thomas Gravesen thinks he’s broke his hand, but I told him that you play football with your feet and not your hand.

I’m a better coach now than when I joined Celtic. The longer you stay in any job, the better you become. If you lose your drive, your enthusiasm, your imagination, that experience is no good.

I think if you’ve managed Celtic or Rangers you can go on to be Prime Minister of Great Britain, it’s that hard.

Are there Martians out there? I haven’t got a clue. Is there life out there? I have no idea.

I like to be able to control which players I’m working with. Because it doesn’t matter how good a coach you are if the guys you’re working with think they already know it all. You need a response, you need to feel they’re trying. I want players who are always striving to improve.

I think what I’ve actually achieved as a manager does sometimes get a bit overlooked, because all people think about is the media side of things. They tend to forget I’ve not done so bad.

I tried to talk to the ref but it is easier to get to see the Pope. If I’m in London again and I get mugged I hope the same number of people turn up to protect me. There were six police, four stewards and even a UN peace observer out there.

I did think there were one or two referees who had a personal thing against me. It wasn’t them versus Celtic – it was them against me! I just think they wanted to take me on.