"The referee was fantastic, that's one of the best you'll ever get."

Mmm. You have to worry about a ref who elicits this kind of tribute from Alex Ferguson (after the game against Inter Milan on Wednesday).

"I've received some film scripts but to make me into an actor would take six or seven months."

Spurs' David Ginola on his future career plans. Six or seven months to make him into an actor? We thought about asking some Premiership full backs for their views on this statement but we don't like smutty language.

"Referees seem to be treating star players as a kind of trophy, they go home to their wives and say `Guess what - I sent off that Emmanuel Petit today'."

So said Emmanuel "I'm not paranoid, it's just that the whole world's out to get me" Petit.

"I feel I have been cryogenically frozen for a year. Once I am defrosted I will be alright again."

Blimey - cryogeniwha? Republic of Ireland midfielder Gareth Farrelly, quoted in Saturday's London Independent, referring to the fact that he has played just 13 minutes of first team football for Everton this season.

"I just hope everything will be okay because it is in the back of your mind that anything you do you could pick up something."

Leeds' Stephen McPhail eagerly anticipating his trip to Nigeria with the Irish Under-20 squad for the World Youth Championships.

"I'm feeling cool and relaxed. I've a Scottish mentality, not a Latin mentality, which means I will not give up."

Benfica manager Graeme Souness puts the "temperamental Latin types" who support his club in their place after they called for his sacking following a 3-0 defeat by Boavista last week.

"He told me the worst day of his life was when England won the World Cup in 1966."

Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards rules Alex Ferguson out of the race to succeed Kevin Keegan as England manager.

"We were the best so it is not fair."

Real Madrid's Roberto Carlos in a big huff after Dynamo Kiev knocked his team out of the Champions League.