"Rudeness is not right" – Southampton player reveals seeking support to handle criticism
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Southampton’s Jan Bednarek has revealed he was able to regain self-confidence after seeking help from psychologists.
The Poland international revealed this during an interview with Viaplay, and Sport.se have relayed his comments.
Bednarek has been subject to criticism from fans of both Southampton and Poland at times in recent years. He was also criticised by a section of the media, mainly in Poland.
The website says at times, some supporters ‘go really far’ to express their unhappiness, without considering the player’s feelings. Over a period of time, this ended up impacting the 28-year-old.
Bednarek claims he decided to act upon it to get out of the difficult situation and sought support of two psychologists.
“I think it’s very important and there is nothing to be ashamed of, that I have sought help from psychologists,” he said.
“I worked with two psychologists who helped me a lot and gave me that self-esteem that I’m not really that bad after all and made me understand that what I do inside the team and for myself, for my family is more important than what people think of me, who I don’t really have any contact with.”
The Saints allowed the centre-back to join Aston Villa on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2022. He struggled for regular minutes at Villa Park, resulting in Southampton recalling him in January 2023.
Bednarek has been at St Mary’s since then and has been a regular in their defence. He’s ready to welcome criticism as long as it’s positive.
“Constructive criticism is something very positive, and from people who have achieved a lot in football, you also have to be able to learn and listen,” Bednarek explained.
“I think it is difficult to be able to listen to criticism (…) But rudeness and such a belittling of the achievements of different players is not right.”
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