Reo-Coker and The Art of War

In an interview in today's Guardian Reo-Coker reveals that he likes to read 2000-year-old Chinese philosophy,

"The Art of War is a great book. It's such a complex book that however you want to look at it, you can look at it. For football it teaches you about respecting your enemy but knowing your enemy as well as you know yourself; trying to anticipate their next move and what they are going to do before they do it.

You can take a lot of aspects from the book into football and everyday life. It even teaches you how to be a good leader through some of the stories: how your people can be with you or turn against you depending on the things you do and how you lead them, treat them and look after them; how you have to be careful having so much power."

The player also reveals his personal ambitions in football, which are not necessaily at Upton Park,

"In all honesty the days are gone when players would spend 10 or 11 years at one club. It's really hard to find nowadays. I've always been the sort of person who's mentally ready if I have to pack my bags and leave and move. It's been instilled in me from a very young age that is what the football industry is about nowadays, especially at the top level, especially with Abramovich coming in as Chelsea's owner - money does talk now. I'm prepared for that. If I have to move and my career lies elsewhere eventually, so be it. All I know is I'm very ambitious and I want to win things and play at the highest level."

Obviously Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' doesn't mention loyalty.