Robbie Rogers is a year shy of 30, which is easy to forget once he starts talking about his career. He’s a unique case study: the professional athlete who is a veteran of his sport, yet still a relatively young member of, well, the human race. But a decade plus of traveling the world, kicking around a soccer ball, has given Rogers a certain informed gravitas. When he speaks, your natural reaction is to not only listen, but to lean in. That probably explains why 90 percent of my meals consisted of lentils and quinoa in the week after he broke down his vegetarian-esque diet for me.

GQ: You’ve played professionally in the States, the UK, and in the Netherlands. Did you notice any differences with your diet when playing based on location?

Robbie Rogers: Yeah, a little bit. When I was in England, I became pretty much a vegetarian. I didn’t really enjoy the meat over there, to be honest.

Yeah, it’s not the best.

No, it’s not. I mean, there are some good spots, but just in general I wasn’t much of a fan. When I was in Holland, my diet was really different, but I was also really young. I would say that was more just with my age. I wasn’t as aware of how important diet was, so I would still eat regular pasta and think that it was great for me. When I was younger, I would just be like, “Oh, have some pasta and you’ll be good!”

The Real-Life Diet of Tim Tebow, Lover of Avocados Plus: a free lesson in optimism.

A lot of people who grew up playing sports probably thought that. In high school, my basketball team would have pasta dinners the night before every game.

Yeah, the team going to Olive Garden and loading up on carbs! I would have bread and all this stuff that I thought was good for me. Then you realize it’s not. And I definitely feel a difference when I’m really strict and on my diet for a few weeks versus if I cheat a little bit. I feel it in games and during training. It does make a huge difference and as you get older. You know, I’m not as athletic as I was when I was younger, so I have to really focus on this stuff so I can keep that edge.

For you, was there a specific moment in your career where you really started to pay attention to your diet?

Probably right around when I was 24 or 25 years old. Before that I could just eat whatever and I’d be fine. But then I realized that I like to play at a certain weight and I feel better when I’m not eating too much sugar or when I eat at a certain time every day. I’m 29 now, been a professional for 11 years. I’ve done my own research but I’ve also listened to the nutritionists around me and spoken to my teammates about what they’re doing and what works for them.

What have you realized works best for you in that time?

Just a much healthier diet with more vegetables and carbs that are actually going to work for me. Before, I never had quinoa or lentils, which are different things I try to focus on now. I do eat meat now, but not much. Maybe once every two weeks. I really try to eat more vegetables. Again, lentils and quinoa. Beans. Even brown rice. And obviously I try to stay extremely hydrated.

About two years ago, you made the switch from playing in the midfield to the backline. Were there any changes to your diet when you made that positional move?