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.

Stretching, which I do for five to 10 minutes before and after a match, is so important in general when it comes to prolonging your career and staying injury-free.

The best athletes in any sport take stretching very seriously before and after matches. Stretching is instrumental in any athlete's physical success.

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.

Your core is so important. Get your endurance up. Running and long-distance. Swimming is good as well. Important to have a good core, utilize the proper exercises to strengthen it. It goes out to the rest of your body and makes sure your body is right.

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.

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