One favoured trick on a 45 minute loop-run we used to do would be to slow down so everyone else moved ahead, and then stop completely, and re-join the run later on when everyone looped back. He would keep his watch timing so his coach was none the wiser about his paltry effort, and for a long time, he still performed well despite this due to his talent.

But as he has got older, others with better and more professional approaches, have moved ahead.

On the other hand, we had another runner who used to train with us, who was not in the same ball park talent-wise, and will probably never reach the very highest-level as a result, but his work-ethic and commitment has allowed him to improve astronomically, and he has earned an England vest as a consequence.

Mo Farah is an athlete who combines natural talent and ability with an impressive work ethic ©Getty Images



An unprofessional attitude is one aspect a top athlete cannot afford to have. A good example of a runner who has learnt this lesson is Great Britain's double world and Olympic track champion, Mo Farah.

His talent was enough to win him junior titles and run times good enough to reach the international circuit. Yet to succeed internationally, and in particular to rival the top African runners, he had to change his approach. Cut out late nights and junk food and any lingering vestige of amateurism, and live the lifestyle of a professional athlete, 365 days a year. He even spent large parts of the year training in Africa to maximise this.

And Farah has thrived off it, working to hone his ability to run fast, and to sprint with the best at the end of it.

There are some top sportspeople who do have weaknesses, and have learnt to accommodate them. Tiger Woods for example, was never the best putter. Others, like tennis' defensive slugger Rafael Nadal, only really have one tactic and way of playing. But in Woods' case all other aspects of his game accounted for any possible putting shortcoming, while Nadal's one tactic is so brutal and effective, no other approach is really required.

In a general sense the quality that separates the good from the very good, is this lack of a weakness. No dodgy chin, like boxer Amir Khan, no weak second serve, like Andy Murray on occasions, and no lack of a sprint finish, like Britain's distance running queen Paula Radcliffe.

It is the same with coaches. The best, like Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea's José Mourinho are able to adapt their team's tactics depending on the squad and opposition. Others, and Arsenal Arsene Wenger springs to mind here, are less able to do this. 

Another quality, which Radcliffe and Rafael Nadal have struggled with, but most of the other very best athletes have not, is the ability to remain injury free.

True greats like Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo invariably seem to be fully fit when it matters most.

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, who has just celebrated his 1,000th career win, has suffered a remarkable lack of injuries over the years ©Getty Images



Although to an extent this is down to luck, it is partly because of the way they train, and their intelligence to know when to ease back, something Radcliffe and Nadal with his slugging, physically-intensive style, have found harder to master.

Sánchez, dare I say it, also seems to be good at avoiding injury, and has a robust physicality seemingly missing in his more injury prone team mates.

Now I have written this he will probably soon be out for the season, but at the moment the Chilean is seemingly a bargain at around £32 million ($48 million/€41 million). He fulfills all the requirements for a sporting great and has the potential to become one of the best players the English game has ever seen.

And he is almost single-handedly dragging his team back towards a top four Premier League finish. 

Nick Butler is a Senior Reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.