For me, sometimes it's more important to perform well in

The words of Marcus Rashford—“For me, sometimes it's more important to perform well in training and know that I am improving rather than scoring in a game. It's doing the hard work, day in, day out.”—speak as a hymn to discipline, perseverance, and the unseen labor that shapes greatness. They remind us that glory on the field is only the fruit, and the root lies hidden in the soil of preparation. In these words lies the wisdom of the ancients: that triumph is not born in the moment of applause, but in the long hours of toil when no eye is watching.

When Rashford declares that training is more important than scoring, he does not diminish the thrill of victory, but he elevates the value of growth over spectacle. To score a goal is a fleeting joy, celebrated in a moment and then gone; but to improve through daily effort is to lay brick upon brick in the temple of mastery. The athlete, like the craftsman, must care more for the sharpening of his tools than for the praise of the crowd, for it is the sharpening that ensures future victories.

The ancients understood this principle well. Think of the Spartans, who trained unceasingly not for the parades of festivals, but for the endurance of war. Their greatness was not revealed in drills alone, but in the discipline that transformed boys into warriors and warriors into legends. Or recall the Roman legions, who built roads and fortified camps with as much seriousness as they fought battles, for they knew that strength lies not only in the sword, but in the daily habit of labor. Rashford, in his modern tongue, reminds us of this same eternal truth: that the unseen preparation is the mother of glory.

When he speaks of “the hard work, day in, day out,” he reveals the heart of greatness: consistency. It is not the extraordinary moment that defines a man, but the ordinary repeated with faith and endurance. Just as water, drop by drop, carves stone, so does daily effort carve the soul into something strong, capable, and enduring. Those who chase only the grand occasion soon falter, for they have neglected the humble training ground. But those who honor each day’s discipline are never without strength when the great test arrives.

History gives us vivid examples of this truth. Consider the story of Michelangelo, whose masterpieces adorn the world. Though celebrated for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he declared that true genius was “eternal patience.” Behind the beauty of his art lay countless hours of labor, sketches discarded, muscles strained, and eyes aching. His glory was not born in the unveiling, but in the silent workshop where he, like Rashford in training, refined himself again and again.

The meaning of Rashford’s words is thus clear: value growth more than recognition, discipline more than applause. The game will come and go, but the strength gained through practice endures. To care only for the roar of the crowd is to remain shallow; to care for the slow work of improvement is to build a foundation that cannot be shaken. This wisdom applies not only to sport, but to all of life: to the student in study, the worker at his craft, the parent in patient care.

For us, the lesson is simple yet profound: do not measure your worth only by visible achievements. Instead, rejoice in the unseen progress, the quiet growth, the strength you build in silence. Ask yourself not only, “What did I achieve today?” but, “How did I improve today?” Celebrate the training ground as much as the arena, for it is there that destiny is shaped.

The practical action is this: dedicate yourself to the daily work, however small, however unnoticed. Honor your training, whether in body, mind, or spirit. Do not be discouraged if no applause greets your labor, for the true reward is the person you are becoming. And when the great moments come, you will be ready—not by chance, but because you prepared when no one was watching.

Thus, let us pass down this wisdom: victory is born not in the moment of triumph, but in the long, faithful labor of each day. Marcus Rashford’s words remind us that greatness is forged in the quiet hours of training, and that those who embrace the daily discipline will, in time, reap rewards beyond measure.