When I first met him [James Galanis], he just said, "Look, if you want to be a professional soccer player, if you want to make the national team, you have to do everything possible to work hard. You’ve got to put it number one."

Every time I step in between those lines, I'm in the zone. If you get between me and the ball, you might get smashed a couple times. Things happen, plays happen.

Every time I step onto the field, whether people like it or not, I'm not trying to play dirty - I'm just playing tough. And I'm trying to earn my spot on the team. I'm trying to earn a starting spot. I'm trying to become a complete midfielder who attacks, who defends. So that's the mindset.

When I first met him [James Galanis], he just said, "Look, if you want to be a professional soccer player, if you want to make the national team, you have to do everything possible to work hard. You’ve got to put it number one."

You can be angry and pissed off at the coach and put your head down and pout. Or you can rise above it, respect the decision, but also know that you're going to go and work that much harder and prove everybody wrong. And that's the road that I chose.

I'm honest. If people aren't putting in the effort, I will definitely let them know because I think that that can only help them.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't human and tears weren't rolling down my face and I wasn't pissed and I wasn't angry. There are lots of times that those emotions come out in my career.