Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
No dream is far away.
I'm composed, and I'm a calm player.
I only ever wanted to be a footballer.
I love every minute of being at West Ham.
Everyone knows Chadwell Heath; it's historic.
I like Jorginho, the way he plays and passes.
No one is guaranteed their place in the squad.
I've always been good at handling stuff mentally.
Without a doubt, the plan was always to stay at West Ham.
I have a special connection with the fans. It's unbelievable.
If I didn't want to be playing for Ireland, I wouldn't be here.
Nothing is given in the Premier League, and it is tough for spots.
I like to do the simple things really well, keep the ball ticking.
I've got to live up to some legends like Robbie Keane and Liam Brady.
You've got to test yourself against the best to know you are the best.
I just have to stay focused and play football with a smile on my face.
Growing up, John Terry was my obvious idol. I based my whole game on him.
England have never wanted me at underage level; it's always been Ireland.
Mum and dad are always looking out for me; they just want the best for me.
I want to win trophies, even the Champions League. You have to be ambitious.
As a holding midfield player, you want movement and to play between the lines.
Like so many people around the world, I consider myself to be of mixed nationality.
I don't read too much into things and look at social media. It's all a load of crap.
There are no guarantees getting into an England squad: there's so many unbelievable players.
As you can hear, I am English - I am from England - and it was really good playing for Ireland.
The crowd are entitled to their opinion, and as players, we have to go out there and play well.
People who troll you want a reaction, and there's no point in doing that. I just try to focus on my football.
Mark O'Toole from the FAI has looked after me well back in England to the point that I consider him a father figure.
It's crazy to be spoken about like Mascherano. He's won everything: Champions League, La Ligas; he's been at World Cups.
I am not taking for granted a call-up to the England squad or making any assumption about my future international career.
I'm always composed, calm, and always believe in my own ability, and if I start well, then I end up having a good game, usually.
I had to move away from home at 14 and live in a club house in Romford for three years, only seeing my mum and dad twice a week.
It's good that I can play in two positions, as a centre-back or as a holding midfielder, as I just want to get minutes and get games.
I'm only 20; you've got your whole career ahead of you. I'm just focused on playing for West Ham and playing with a smile on my face and enjoying it.
My pride at wearing the Irish shirt was always 100 per cent genuine. It was a great honour for myself and my family and something I will always cherish.
The likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling - they give you all the confidence you need. They give you little pats on the back, tell you you're doing well.
I have equal respect and love for both England and Ireland, and therefore, the national team I choose to represent is not a clear-cut, simple selection.
Being compared to players, being linked to other teams - I don't really take any of it in, to be honest. If you think about it too much, you get caught up in it.
I've seen comparisons between myself and Bobby Moore. It's nice to be told there are similarities, but nobody will come close to him - what a player, what a man!
When Chelsea let me go, it was really deflating. For me, as a youngster, it's all I ever knew - living 10 minutes from the training ground, going to loads of the games.
I am a proud Englishman, having been born and raised in London. However, I am just as proud of my family's Irish heritage and my affinity and connection with the country.
I thought there was maybe going to be some booing. I didn't know how the fans would take to me. But the reception from the England fans has been top class. They have taken me in.
My family are very happy that I'm playing with Ireland. It's my dad's side, and he's really, really proud. He wants me to play for Ireland, and I'm really happy to play for Ireland.
I think it's important that you're vocal during the match, especially at centre-half. You're basically the eyes and ears of the team, and if you don't open your mouth, it's not going to help the team out.
As I'm growing up, going into holding midfield, I'm watching Busquets quite a lot for Barcelona. The way he controls the game, his reading of it, technically, defensively - everything about him cuts him out above the rest. I'm really enjoying watching him.
I was released by Chelsea at 14 years old. I remember it, a Tuesday night. On the Wednesday, I was training with Fulham, five minutes from my house, and then on the Thursday, I was training with West Ham. After one session at both clubs, they both wanted me.
It's important to be vocal, and to be fair, I've always had that in me, to be honest. One of the things my dad has always said to me is make sure you're vocal, and before the game, I always get a text off him telling me to do the things well and again, 'Be vocal, Dec.'
I know that nothing can be taken for granted, and there is still a lot of hard work ahead of me. However, I am looking forward to the challenge of trying to prove to the England manager that I am worthy of a place in his team, and hopefully continuing to progress my career in the right direction.
At West Ham, I was the last person to be offered a scholarship. I remember an Under 18 match against Fulham. I was 16 and had to prove myself. Everyone else already had their scholarship. It was probably one of my best games. Knowing that every day I'd have to fight has made me into the person I am today.