The flags are flying from every car window in the country and the pundits are now in full flow, but sometimes it’s the players who give us the best insights into the game.

Here are a few great football wordsmiths in action:

"I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel." Stuart Pearce

"My parents have been there for me, ever since I was about 7." David Beckham

"I couldn’t settle in Italy – it was like living in a foreign country." Ian Rush

"We lost because we didn’t win." Ronaldo

"If you don’t believe you can win, there is no point in getting out of bed at the end of the day." Neville Southall

"I'd love to be a mole on the wall in the Liverpool dressing room at half-time." Kevin Keegan

Of course, before we get carried away, you’ve yet to see the Ink team play football.