What they said in 2007

Many of sports key figures have had plenty to say for themselves during 2007. Here we pick out the the best quotes from the last 12 months

A FUNNY OLD GAME

"We played like a bunch of drunks" - Yossi Benayoun on West Ham's 6-0 defeat to Reading on New Year's Day.

"If it was a boxing match it would be Muhammad Ali against Jimmy Krankie" - Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd did not rate his side's chances against Manchester United.

"They have my credit card number, and we will say, 'How much do you need this week? Let's do it'" - Arsene Wenger on Arsenal's frequent trips to face the Football Association's disciplinary panel.

"99% of the letters and e-mails are supporting us and that's not bad. That's as good as Saddam Hussein did and he was fiddling the figures" - Ken Bates after finally succeeding in retaining control at Leeds.

"There's more chance of me flying Concorde to the moon blindfolded than there is of you taking Wales to the South African World Cup" - Robbie Savage on Wales' World Cup 2012 hopes under John Toshack.

THE AWARD FOR DIPLOMACY GOES TO.....

"It doesn't matter whether it's cricket, rugby union, rugby league - we all hate England" - Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill.

"If they don't want to come because their wife wants to go shopping in London, it's a sad state of affairs" - Sunderland boss Roy Keane blasts those players who let their wives and girlfriends dictate who they sign for.

"Playing against a small team it is not always easy when they have nine men behind the ball" - Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez caused fury with his assessment of rivals Everton.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

"Don't ever call me a bottler on radio with all those thousands of people listening" - Jamie Carragher reacts angrily to a radio debate on his

international retirement.

"I am not going to leave. Never. I am staying here for life" - Thierry Henry scoffed at talk of a move from Arsenal. He later left for Barcelona.

WORDS OF WISDOM

"Two minutes after people see this interview I'll just be that big gay guy" - Former England international John Amaechi, now retired, after becoming the first NBA player to 'out' himself.

"This is the icing on the gravy" - American Lucas Glover after qualifying for the Open.

"This was as good as I could have been" - A retiring Tim Henman takes a final swipe at critics who claimed he underachieved.

"We were on £65 per week when I played and I always say that if I was on £25,000 per week they could put boxes of tomatoes around the track and they could throw them at me if I had a bad game. That's the way I see it." - Former Celtic star George Connelly reflects on changing times and the modern pay packets.

THE WORD IN UNION

"I used to milk 100 cows six days a week, and then go to a place like Newbridge, in Wales, on a wet Wednesday night and have my head kicked in. It was a tough apprenticeship, but you know what? I miss those days'' - Phil Vickery revealed the tough road that led to the England captaincy.

"Whatever they say from 12,000 miles away, I bet they wish they were sitting where I am now" - Brian Ashton on leading England to the World Cup final.

"There were about 30 text messages on my phone. I think 29 out of the 30 had 'robbed' in the text" - Winger Mark Cueto on his try that never was in England's 15-6 final loss to South Africa.

FAT FIGHTERS

"Ricky Hatton ain't nothing but a fat man." - Floyd Mayweather got personal.

"I've definitely proved the fat man is back" - Ricky Hatton after destroying Jose Luis Castillo inside four rounds in Las Vegas.

STICKY WICKET

"When it came to trying to catch the ball, I honestly thought I was going to hurt him, so uncoordinated was he" - Former England coach Duncan Fletcher's sensational revelation about Andrew Flintoff turning up to training drunk during the Ashes.

"One word changed the context of the whole article, a word which I didn't say" - Michael Vaughan's attempt to claim he did not use the word 'Fredalo' in his comments about England's World Cup demise. He did.

"Zaheer obviously came in and wasn't too pleased - I think he prefers the blue ones to the pink ones" - Paul Collingwood makes light of the Jelly Bean scandal that marred England's Test defeat to India.

FORMULA ONE

"I just found out the other day I've slept with Dido. If I did, I don't remember it!" - Lewis Hamilton reacts to his new-found media profile.

"I am still quite happy. To have come from GP2, who would have thought I'd be number two in my first season in Formula One?" - Lewis Hamilton remains philosophical after throwing away his world title hopes at the last.

"I think there is some kind of justice" - Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who snatched the crown from Hamilton, believed McLaren's role in the spying scandal meant they did not deserve the title.

THE SPECIAL ONE

"I think I will love Chelsea forever. I cannot separate my story with Chelsea's story" - Jose Mourinho deflected rumours of a Chelsea departure early in the year.

"If we win, we go to the semi-final, if we lose, I will go to Earl's Court and watch the wrestling on the 24th" - Mourinho, after his side's Champions League quarter-final first-leg draw with Valencia.

"I am not 'The Special One'. I'm the normal one. But my wife says I am special" - Mourinho's replacement Avram Grant at his first press conference as Chelsea boss.