Nicolas Jackson apologises to Chelsea fan he taunted as striker vows to follow Cristiano Ronaldo
CHELSEA ace Nicolas Jackson has apologised to the fan he rowed with during the defeat to Brentford.
The Blues lost 2-0 to the Bees at Stamford Bridge last month following goals by Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo.
During the Premier League clash, Jackson approached his manager Mauricio Pochettino on the touchline to receive instructions.
A home fan was then heard yelling towards the striker: “Hey Jackson, wake up! Why don’t you score a goal?”
The Senegal international, who struggled to hit the target during his first months at Stamford Bridge, reacted unfavourably as he appeared to put his finger to his mouth as if to silence the fan.
Pochettino also didn’t take kindly to that remark as he was heard yelling towards the home crowd: “Support the team!”
However, Jackson has apologised to the supporter as he admitted he let himself get too frustrated.
The 22-year-old conceded that he’s still learning to adapt to a bigger club following a four-year stint at Villarreal.
Jackson’s goalscoring instincts were also criticised by former strikers Alan Shearer and Peter Crouch.
However, the Senegalese star insists he won’t address them and will instead follow Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo‘s example by letting his talent do all the talking for him.
Jackson told The Telegraph: “To the fan, I have to say sorry. I never had this before.
“At Villarreal, you play without so much pressure because it’s a different team, but I know it comes from a good place.
“Normally, I don’t talk to fans or get distracted by what they say. I don’t know what came over me. It must have been frustration.
“It’s not a small thing, everybody at the game expecting you to do what they want you to. It’s because they love you, not because they hate you. They want you to make them happy. Now I know that.
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“I was in Villarreal, but it was a different environment. You don’t have these kinds of things there. In Chelsea, it’s different.
“Cristiano would score 30 or 35 goals a season and people would criticise him. You’d never hear him talk about it, he’d just respond with a celebration.
“So it doesn’t affect me. I’m learning from him, I’d never answer back to criticism. I know what I can do, I believe in myself.”