Stewart Downing may have pushed himself close to the exit door at Liverpool after lashing out at manager Brendan Rodgers and insisting he has what it takes to become an Anfield hero.
Downing has struggled to find his feet at on Merseyside since making a £20 million move from Aston Villa in July 2011, but he has reacted angrily to Rodgers' suggestion that he lacks the courage to shine on the biggest stage.
"Stewart is a good guy and a good lad who came here for an awful lot of money, but it hasn't quite worked out for him as he would want it," stated Rodgers."The big challenge for him now is that commitment to the causeand to show fight."
Those words have clearly hit a raw nerve with Downing, as he is quoted in several Sunday newspapers launching a passionate defence of his credentials.
"Bravery is a lot of things - it's not just about tackling," Downing said. "That's not my game. My bravery is about taking the ball when you are losing a game and trying to create things, which is what I try to do.