West Ham United midfielder Stewart Downing has revealed that he struggled to work under Brendan Rodgers, saying that he had "problems" with the Liverpool manager.
Downing, 30, joined Liverpool from Aston Villa in 2011, but left to join the Hammers after just two years on Merseyside.
"Rodgers was the one manager I had problems with. I found it very difficult and the way it was handled - to come out in the papers and basically slag off your player by saying you don't try - that was poor really," Downing told the Daily Mail.
"I got my head down, worked hard and got back in the team. I've always worked hard, probably because of the way I've been brought up. My dad would always remind me that football's a short career and that you need to make the best of it. That's why I found what happened at Liverpool difficult.
"That kind of thing can tarnish a player's reputation. If fans read that you don't try, it gives the wrong impression. I was finding it hard after the first season I'd had at Liverpool. When that came out, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement."
Downing returns to action when his West Ham side take on Queens Park Rangers at Upton Park tomorrow.
Joe Sharratt
