Chris Smalling has hit back at at Jose Mourinho after he was slammed by the former Roma manager during his spell in charge of the Italian club.
Mourinho had launched a scathing attack on the defender in November last year, criticising his ability to deal with injuries. Smalling has been out of action for nearly five months with a knee issue.
The now-sacked Roma boss had said Smalling, 34, 'isn't capable of playing through pain', 'holds something back' and that there are people 'who aren't high-performance athletes who have a greater pain threshold' amid the former England defender's latest issue.
He went onto suggest that Smalling 'maybe struggle(s) to sleep with toothache', leading to large section of the Roma fanbase, who backed Mourinho until his dismissal earlier this week, turning on the centre back, and widespread criticism from the Italian media.
Smalling has now fired back at his two-time boss, taking to Instagram to defend himself and his commitment to his playing career.
'Since signing for AS Roma in 2019, my commitment and loyalty to the club has never wavered, Smalling began in a post shared in both English and Italian.
'The minute I stepped foot in Roma, I instantly felt at home. Roma is my home, and the relationship I have built with AS Roma fans is something I cherish dearly.
'For that reason I wanted to jump on here to address some of the rumours that I have seen circulating over recent months. Let me start by clarifying that I have never asked to, nor even contemplated, leaving this great club.
'Speaking openly, the last few months have proved to be some of the most frustrating of my career. There are things in this game and in life that we can control, and others we simply can't. This injury has been one thing that we couldn't.
'No footballer wants to spend their days in a treatment room, and this period of time away from my teammates has challenged me, with setback after setback. I have, and will always, put the needs of my team-mates first, but the absolute priority for the medical team is to guarantee that I can play a significant role in the latter part of the season and for seasons to come.'
Smalling also played for Mourinho briefly at Manchester United, leaving the club in October 2020 after a decade-long stay.
Mourinho took over at United in 2016, leaving the club in 2018 before going on to coach Tottenham and then Roma.
The Portuguese wasn't short of criticism for Smalling then either, and picked out the ex-Fulham man and Phil Jones to criticise as too 'cautious' in their approach to declaring themselves fit, calling for them to be 'brave'.
Smalling is aiming a return to action for Roma in the next few weeks having not played since the start of September due to suffering a small tear in a patella tendon. Due to his importance to the Roma side, he has been receiving injections to try and get him to return to action without surgery.
The plan hasn't worked out so far, but Smalling insisted he has been following the instructions given to him by the Roma medical team, rather than making any decisions on his situation himself.
'Guided only by specialists, I have been open to all solutions, short and long, and any insinuation that I have dictated a treatment plan are false,' he added on his post.
'With surgery not an option proposed by any specialist I have engaged with, I have to trust the expertise that guides my recovery plan which, contrary to popular belief, does include painkillers. A lot of them, in fact.'
'The absolute priority is guaranteeing I can play for AS Roma at the highest level for years to come. Your patience and loyalty as I work on getting back to my best is greatly appreciated. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
'Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jose and his team for their support over the last three seasons and officially welcome Daniele [De Rossi, new Roma manager] to the club. Forza Roma.'