Paul Pogba has urged fans to judge central midfielders the same way, citing Chelsea's N'Golo Kante as an example.
The Manchester United player has found himself under criticism this season by some fans and pundits who question his goalscoring return since his world record transfer from Juventus last summer.
Pogba, who has bagged seven goals in 44 appearances for the Red Devils this season, is bemused by how he is expected to score from midfield, while his France teammate - who he deems to have a similar playing style - is not.
"I've heard Kante is a top, top midfielder, which I agree with. He is a top-class midfielder for what he does. But he doesn't score many goals, does he? They don't speak about this," the 23-year-old told Sky Sports News.
"They speak about what he does on the pitch. He gets the ball, he passes the ball and he makes the game. Me, I try to do this.
"I score more goals than Kante but they still say Kante does this and does that. If you want to speak about scoring goals, you should judge every midfielder the same way. They only speak about the transfer and about the money.
"The most important thing is to be a midfielder first, not scoring goals. You have to make the game, make an assist for the team and if you can score it's a plus for the team."
The two players are expected to start for their respective sides when Man United host Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
Giuseppe Labellarte
