Dimitar Berbatov Says Critics Who Dubbed Him Lazy Can 'Go F--k Themselves'

Dimitar Berbatov has said critics who called him lazy during his playing career "can go f--k themselves," with the former Manchester United striker insisting he brought different value to his teams. 

Berbatov, 38, joined Tottenham Hotspur from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 and came upon success at White Hart Lane before he earned a £30.75 million transfer to Old Trafford in 2008.

The Bulgarian was a centre-forward renowned for his hold-up play, silky footwork and finishing ability. He spoke to Goal's Nizaar Kinsella and dismissed anyone who suggested he didn't pull his weight: 

"It is probably because I didn't play like (Wayne) Rooney or (Carlos) Tevez. I didn't like that because I can show you six or seven current world-class players who run less than me back then. When you label something like that, it sticks. Even if it isn't true.

"People can go f--k themselves. People don't understand and try to look smart. I would check my stats after every game and I was running 10 to 11 kilometres every game. It doesn't make any difference for me. I was more bothered how I move and make space.

"How to get an assist or pass to keep the ball. It wasn't all about goals. I know when I was bad or good. I was realistic and knew where I stood in the football world. I always wanted to develop."

Berbatov won two Premier League titles, a League Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup with United. A match-winning hat-trick against Liverpool in September 2010 served as a special highlight during his time in England's top flight:

The attacker described himself as an "artist on the pitch" who only realised later in his career that it was important for him to perform a different duty than those such as Rooney or Tevez. The latter two were more highly regarded for their graft off the ball, but Berbatov wanted to be remembered differently:

"I wanted people to say 'wow, I want to try that.' Then you see it isn't as easy as it looks. This is what I wanted to do. It didn't affect my game because this is who I am. I have my way of seeing football, not everyone can see it in the same way.

"Everyone is different. It helped me get to one of the biggest clubs in the world. Of course, you can't play with 11 artists on the pitch. It is not going to happen, you need...not 11 of me."

Berbatov spent his prime playing years with United between 2008 and 2012, eventually joining Fulham and later moving to Ligue 1 with AS Monaco:

He scored 56 times and recorded 27 assists in 149 appearances for United. He shared the 2010-11 Premier League Golden Boot with team-mate Tevez after they finished the campaign tied on 20 goals apiece, not to mention earning two PFA Team of the Year selections (2007, '11).

Berbatov recently shared sympathy for Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, a player strongly linked with the club's exit in the past and one whom he feels has gone under-appreciated by the club's fans, per Goal:

The 38-year-old may be looked upon as a player whose brilliance will be remembered more so after his playing career than during, such were the attacking riches United were blessed with back then.

However United are struggling for goals under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who could desperately use a man of Berbatov's talents ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash at home to leaders Liverpool.