Bruce Grobbelaar

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I enjoyed 13 successful seasons at Anfield, becoming the most decorated goalkeeper in league history. But I believe the match-fixing scandal arose because the press did not like this person they perceived as arrogant and who had a reputation for clowning around in games. Goalkeepers aren't supposed to do that.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
Collection: History
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When you go out on to that field it's going to be war. Sportsmanship is playing to the best of your abilities and then, afterwards, shaking your opponent's hand.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
Collection: War
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If you can stay alive and enjoy life, that's the whole heart and soul of life. That's why I played with a smile on my face all these years.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
Collection: Smile
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If a goalkeeper can save you 15-20 points a season, his value is high. It's like a striker scoring 20 goals a season.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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You can't put your arm around the referee! That's ungentlemanly conduct.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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If war teaches you anything, it is an appreciation of being alive.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I had to learn some hard lessons in my early days because I was a bit of a showman, a kind of Jekyl and Hyde character.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Life is too short to sit around doing nothing.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I've had a lot of things thrown at me. A lot of coins that had been sharpened, billiard balls, and I had a dart thrown at my back at Burnley. And potatoes with razor blades.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I can only say sorry for the past. I can't change it.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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The fans called me Jungleman. They said this young guy's not white. He's black in a white man's skin.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I mentioned that Mignolet is bad at coming for crosses and as soon as that went into the newspapers, he got better.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Jurgen Klopp was very astute in seeing Keita's ability and potential to develop.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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With Keita, he will hunt you down, get the ball, then 'either get in the box and score or he has the same type of 'passing range Philippe Coutinho had in the final delivery.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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When I used to play, the manager would tell us that you are as good as your last performance. That made all the players more hungry to finish strong.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I've always said Reina has the best distribution out of the continental 'keepers. His kicking out and throwing is absolutely superb. He might actually score from a kick one day, either out of his hands or he'll come 35 yards out and have a go at goal.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Mohamed Salah, well if you go to Egypt he is a god there.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Liverpool had African players from the '50s and '60s. There were goalkeepers in the early days from South Africa. Then in 1981 there was a guy who came to Anfield. They say 'who is this guy' and it is me; I am African.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Anyone who comes out of Brazil at a young age and comes over to Europe has got to have a big heart and a big personality.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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It can be daunting playing in front of the Kop.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Alisson arrives at Liverpool with much more experience than De Gea had when he first went to United so I don't think there will be anyone out there who doesn't feel Alisson shouldn't be here.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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If you asked all the goalkeepers in my era, they will tell you that they were worth a lot more than the price they were bought.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Any goalkeeper that's going to play for Liverpool is going to be looked at and scrutinised - every shot, everything about it is going to be scrutinised.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Just because you've made a mistake... everybody makes mistakes. It's how you come out of it.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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You can't worry about the game you've just played, because you can't do anything about it. And the next time you go onto the field, don't do what you did in the last game!
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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You're as good as your last game, and that's how you get over it in any walk of life.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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On a given day, if you go into town to a little quiet pub or restaurant you might be sitting next to Jurgen Klopp - that's the type of person he is. You might see him out. He is one for the people.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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When Jurgen Klopp came to Liverpool I was ecstatic. I knew his pedigree and what he did at Borussia Dortmund. What a job he did there.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Jurgen Klopp is Shankly reincarnated in a German body, because he gets the people.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Since myself and a few others like Pepe Reina, we haven't had a goalkeeper who has commanded his area as well as Alisson.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Liverpool is a family, it is not a club, you don't come in and out of this club without it leaving a mark.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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If Alisson stays at Liverpool long enough he could break all the records that myself and Ray Clemence achieved.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Alisson is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world and he deserves to be put on that pedestal. Him and Manuel Neuer are probably the best two when it comes to angles - those two are the very best in the world at getting their angles right, they don't have to dive because they aren't out of position.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I played behind Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen, and they were both brilliant centre-halves.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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If you ever look at my history of coaching in South Africa, no team has ever gone down. And I'm talking about places in the league. They've always gone up.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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If you can make the players better, that's what I'm about.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I'll argue with the owners all day long when they do not allow the players to get the best.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Over the years, I am very lucky that I didn't submerge into a form of depression, because football saved my life really.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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People ask me why I can still smile on the pitch when we're losing. I tell them that if you lose your smile and stop being happy, you should find yourself a plot in the graveyard.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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On the European nights, the corporate fans from overseas can't get tickets. It's mainly local fans. That's why the atmosphere is so great and the passion is so strong.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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For Premier League games, you get people coming from all over, paying big money to get into the games as part of a weekend away.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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There was a tradition of keepers at Anfield to play as a sweeper, going back to Tommy Lawrence under Bill Shankly.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Ray Clemence was the best in the world at having nothing to do for 89 minutes and then in the 90th minute making a great save.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I'm happy to be alive and to play any sport and, really, I wouldn't mind working for a living and playing at weekends.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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When I left the army, I left for good.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I've seen a life many, many footballers had never seen.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I have been called a clown in football - but if I don't go onto the field with a laugh and smile, I shouldn't be doing it.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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I've likened Mignolet to worse than Dracula because at least Dracula comes out of his coffin now and then. He seems to stay on his line and that's it.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Any team that lets in 50 goals should never be in second position in the first place.
- Bruce Grobbelaar
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Governments cannot interfere in football matters - Fifa suspends countries for that.
- Bruce Grobbelaar