As a soccer player, the goal isn't to be very bulky. It is more important to even your body out. Make sure your body is well rounded. You can't really focus on one area. Everything has to be balanced.

You have to eat right. I eat a lot of vegetables. Keep a very, very healthy diet. It translates to how your body feels. The better your body feels, the better endurance and stamina you're going to have.

In all honesty, as you grow older, you understand how important it is to give everything in every workout, training session and match. When you're younger, you think game and practice are different. The sooner you understand they aren't, the better.

I never cheat in training. I owe it to myself and family to give it everything I have, all the time. To be honest, I hate every minute of training. But the rewards of giving your all and having it translate into great things on the pitch are the reasons why it's all worth it.

Snacking is important. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a great example of a perfect snack. They can go a long way.

Sometimes something as simple as going for a 20-minute jog on any given day is important. Keeps your body moving and legs from getting stiffened up from doing high-intensity workouts during the week.

Get in some pasta or brown rice with your vegetables like a sweet potato and some meat. You need a little bit of everything on your plate to make sure your energy levels are right for the match.