“My generation learnt to play soccer in the street. Our skill levels greatly improved because of the lack of space and the fact that there were few of us meant that we were always involved in the game. The street was our soccer school. Players like Pele, Beckenbauer, Platini, Di Stefano, and myself all started by kicking a football, tin cans, rubber ball, or even rags in the street against guys who would fight to get the ‘ball’ off of you. You had to rely on your quick thinking and your skill when playing against these guys, because not only are they bigger than you, but space was tight and you were often under great pressure. During those games, I’d use walls, my teammates and even the curb of the pavement. My favorite move was to kick the ball against a wall and control the rebound whilst running at speed, as this split second was often the crucial difference between a great goal and loss of possession.

Youngsters need to develop a close personal relationship with the ball. They need to get to know it and love it as quality is only achieved through many hours of lonely practice. When I played for Ajax juniors, each boy had a football with his name on it. In Spain, at the grassroots level often there is only one ball for the whole team. At Ajax, my ball “Cruyff” was my friend and I had lots of affection for it.”

– Johan Cruyff