Raheem Sterling has revealed how critics in the early stages of his England career affected him before he was eventually motivated to prove them wrong.
The 24-year-old was widely condemned after leaving Liverpool for Manchester City, with the consensus from many at the time being he had prioritised money over on-field achievements.
“I had people looking at me in a certain way, and people were judging me before I even went onto the football field for England," he told FourFourTwo .
“They didn't want me in the national team. Even if I was doing well for my club, they didn't want me in the national team. That was the feeling I had at the time, and it puts you down.
"If people were having me or not, I had to show them I wanted to be there, and I really wanted to make up for lost time after a few disappointing seasons with the national team.
"I believe people understand me now – they can see the truth and ignore what they have heard about me previously. They see that I'm a person who only wants to do the best for the national team.
“You get a lot of compliments and a lot of love for standing up for yourself, and not just yourself, but a whole society. I feel a lot of love whenever I'm out and about – not just from City fans, but from the majority.”