Professional footballers are always told, just as children are always told, not to listen to nasty people saying nasty things about them. It will just upset you. So ignore criticism. Don’t listen to or read horrid stuff. Especially in this age of social media. Obvious, but oh how very wise.
The opposite can be just as bad, though people are rarely warned not to listen to praise. Lavish, over-the-top praise can turn your head, make you arrogant, complacent and entitled, stop you trying your hardest.
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