Brazilian all-time top scorer Marta’s mid-game bust-up with rival NWSL coach sums up her ‘competitive’ spirit
It is not just technique, speed and dedication that makes great players stand out.
Sometimes it is their competitive spirit that really pushes them over the edge.
For five time FIFA World Player of the Year winner Marta, that is certainly the case.
The 38-year-old - who currently plays for NWSL side Orlando Pride - has scored 115 goals for her country, more than any other Brazilian player.
And her records do not stop there.
Marta also become the first footballer to score at five different World Cups and the first player to score at five consecutive Olympic Games.
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Not to mention that with 17 goals, she holds the record for the most goals scored in World Cup history.
And while the striker retired from World Cup football last year, she is continuing to show her competitive edge in the American top flight women's league.
She has already made over 100 appearances for Orlando Pride, most recently scoring in the side's 1-1 draw against Angel City FC.
The striker is certainly a force to be feared in the NWSL - as assistant coach at rival side North Carolina Courage Nathan Thackeray confirmed.
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Thackeray has just begun his seventh season coaching with NC Courage and is no stranger to coming up against the skill of Marta during that time.
But speaking on talkSPORT's Women's Football Show, Thackeray said there was one encounter with her that had always stood out to him.
He described how when his side had met Orlando Pride in the NWSL some time ago, things had gotten particularly heated.
He said: "The ball comes out of play and comes to the bench. I go to pick it up and she obviously thinks I'm taking too long to get the ball back in play for her. So she runs over and grabs the ball out of my hands, and as she grabbed it, she scratched me on my arm!
"And I was like 'Wait a second, what are you doing?' So she shouts and me - and we go back and forth. I've known Marta for years at this point, so I said to her, 'If you want afterwards, I'll sign the ball for you' - just a little banter back and forth.
"And she turned to me and she went 'I have five of these, I have five of these! In reference to the (FIFA World Player of the Year Awards), she's like, "I have five - you don't talk to me! Which was hilarious to me and yeah, we made up afterwards but yeah that competitive spirit, she definitely has it!"
Despite their amusing mid-game squabble, Thackeray had nothing but praise for the Brazilian international and described her as a 'supremely talented footballer'.
He said: "So talented. You look at the stuff when she was younger - it looks so easy for her. And really the first player that I saw in the women's game that made me go 'Wow. This one is really, really special.'
"But you know what's kept her at the top level? It's her drive. Her drive is incredible. She wants to be at the top of her game, she loves challenge.
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"You can see it when she plays in games, you can see it when she doesn't get selected for the Brazil national team. That drive to say 'You know what? That's a challenge for me - I'm going to push it a little bit further.'"
You can tune into talkSPORT's Women's Football Show on Mondays from 7pm on talKSPORT 2.