Skip to main content

Motivation Quote by Ruud van Nistelrooy

"But really, I can only be dangerous for the team in one place, and that is in the box"

About this Quote

A striker admitting his limits is the opposite of false modesty; its a claim to authority. When Ruud van Nistelrooy says he can only be dangerous "in the box", hes shrinking his world to one brutal, high-stakes square of grass where reputations are made in half-seconds. The intent is clinical: dont ask me to be your artist, your winger, your build-up conductor. Put the ball where goals happen and Ill do the job.

The subtext is almost defiant in an era that increasingly romanticizes the all-action forward. Van Nistelrooy is drawing a line against the modern obsession with versatility and "complete" players. He frames specialization not as a weakness but as a kind of professional honesty: danger is not a vibe you carry everywhere; its a repeatable skill in a specific environment. In the box, touches are fewer, defenders are closer, and excuses vanish. Thats where movement becomes language - the half-yard of separation, the near-post dart, the delayed run to meet a cutback. His identity is precision under compression.

Context matters: van Nistelrooy built a career on ruthless efficiency, often thriving on service rather than spectacle. The quote reads like a message to teammates and coaches: if you want goals, design the team to feed the zone where Im lethal. Its also a subtle critique of pundit culture that scolds poachers as passengers. He reclaims the role: not a passenger, a specialist weapon, activated in the penalty area.

Quote Details

TopicSports
SourceHelp us find the source
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Nistelrooy, Ruud van. (2026, January 17). But really, I can only be dangerous for the team in one place, and that is in the box. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-really-i-can-only-be-dangerous-for-the-team-81622/

Chicago Style
Nistelrooy, Ruud van. "But really, I can only be dangerous for the team in one place, and that is in the box." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-really-i-can-only-be-dangerous-for-the-team-81622/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"But really, I can only be dangerous for the team in one place, and that is in the box." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/but-really-i-can-only-be-dangerous-for-the-team-81622/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Ruud Add to List
Van Nistelrooy on being dangerous in the box
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

Netherland Flag

Ruud van Nistelrooy (born July 1, 1976) is a Athlete from Netherland.

25 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes

Harry Connick, Jr., Musician
Howard Schultz, Businessman
Pierre Corneille, Dramatist
Pierre Corneille
Francis Walsingham, Celebrity
Jonathan Mayhew, Clergyman
Jenna Ortega, Actress
Jenna Ortega