Top 60 Jill Ellis Quotes

When you go to a World Cup, in midfield you need to have players who can score from distance, who can get in the box and obviously play-make.

I went into coaching never worrying about what I was coaching for other than trying to make sure that I can prepare my team, select my team, have an amazing staff around me.

Our intent is to attack for 90 minutes.

My own personal opinion is putting three finals in one day isn’t supporting the women’s game.

To be respectful to opponents is to play hard against them.

When you weigh putting a player in with 10 minutes left in a game, and they know their role on a set piece, and the moment doesn’t get too big for them, those are the pieces you just – you can’t buy that experience.

I grew up playing with boys in the yard and my brother in the backyard and boys in the schoolyard.

Players don’t change drastically. Maybe they get more in form if they’re a goal scorer, or they get healthier if they’ve been injured.

The challenge for young players is always stepping into the next level in terms of how much faster the game is.

My whole British culture in growing up is still with me for sure. I’m very grateful for that.

I haven’t seen many pretty games in a World Cup.

Player X might be the best outside back, but does that player help the best wide player be as good?

A win’s a win in a World Cup.

Coaches understand that pressure is part of the rush of coaching. The challenge of trying to outplay your opponent is part of the fun, the adrenaline, the preparation, seeing your team evolve. It’s why coaches become coaches.

We need people in the game to be honest, to call things as they are.

Little things that I’ve emphasized are turning in pockets and looking to penetrate and finding these spaces and playing at a good tempo when we’re in the middle third.

I can truly say this: I don’t care, and I’ve never really read what people thought.

What I know about Ali Krieger is no moment is ever going to be too big for her.

I am a sensitive person.

Part of what’s important for me is for our players to play on the road.

When I used to recruit in college, my sole job was to out-recruit what I had. And if I did that, I knew we would grow and be successful.

Sometimes it is the mentality that is really important. To have players with self-belief makes my job a lot easier, as they are certainly motivated and hungry.

If you ask my dad, I’m always the person that found the little bird out of the nest and is trying to put it back or take care of it.

I think people get hung up on starters and 11s, and that number kind of rings through a lot of media’s heads.

It’s incumbent on you to play games outside your region that will really test you. That’s important to keep your edge.

I don’t have to talk about critics – I don’t care.

We have to get to a point in this country where our top players are seeking out the most challenging environments.

If someone’s off their line, they’re off their line.

I just love the sport, love the game.

You don’t go into coaching if you’re not willing to step into that moment and go, ‘OK, this is what it’s going to take, and this is why you do it.’ Everything hinges on winning and losing, right?

It’s easy for a player to stand out in two or three days. But the grind of a camp, and just the level of consistency in performance that requires, that needs to happen.

I get a text every day from my dad: ‘Enjoy the challenge.’

My job is to bring in players I think can help this team, regardless of where they’re playing.

I never thought I’d end up coaching. It wasn’t the plan.

My dad has a certain spirit, a twinkle in his eye, someone who can set a certain standard for players but also convey it with humor. What I learned from him is that coaching is, more than anything, about connecting with people.

You can do a lot of breakdown on games you played, but the takeaways from games you’ve played has to be on what’s in front of you.

When you have a group of players with self-belief… nine times out of 10, players can be very talented to make the roster, but they need that quality, and it is pivotal at a World Cup.

When you go through a tournament of seven games, there are peaks and valleys. You kind of ride the players that are hot.

It’s fascinating to me how they build bridges or tunnels.

I was a Pompey lass – I can’t say I supported Pompey all the time.

You’ve got to turn over every stone; you’ve got to look for every advantage. You need to make sure you’re doing everything you possibly can, not just on the field but off it, to give your team an advantage – from having a sleep expert coming to talk to your team to having an independent analysis of your team done.

One of the things we recognized coming out of 2015 is we had to get more and more high-level competition.

I think every time I’m with the team, even in a World Cup, as a coach, you’re constantly evaluating.

I always want to know about things.

I love pace. I love it.

You have to be able to adjust with the moment, whether it’s an injury, a result.

I had zero opportunity to play football over the years.

World Cups aren’t moments to invest in players.

I grew up playing in the schoolyard with the boy, and on the side of the grounds my dad coached on. I have a lot of fond memories.

Many, many years ago, when you named alternates, and they wouldn’t travel with you – I think you’re dealing with a small roster. Now you travel with these alternates, which you can replace at any time, obviously, if it’s a medical situation, so you have it in your back pocket.

If I walk into a room, I’m quite content to sit in the corner and chat with people who walk by. But coaching forced me to come out of my shell.

If a team has multiple looks, it’s so hard to stand in front of your team and say, ‘This is the scouting report. This is what you have to prepare for.’

I’m an American except when I’m in the supermarket or at the candy store.

Why have a rule if you’re not going to enforce it?

When we went into 2015, we had our way of playing, and we were fairly rigid in what we were doing.

The players do their thing on the pitch, and there’s a lot of young women or former players that want to coach.

Coming out of 2015, I just realized it’s OK not to look perfect. It’s OK to make sure that your players remain in that bubble, stay focused and true to who we are, and keep the belief internally.

Opportunity only knocks so many times.

We have to constantly be looking to improve.

I have a tremendous staff around me. It’s a really good family vibe in terms of our environment.