Adebayor: I’m not back in Spurs to win fans

Emmanuel Adebayor insists he won’t be fazed if Tottenham supporters give him another hostile reception in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final clash against Sheffield United.
Adebayor’s appearance as a second half substitute in Tottenham’s 2-1 win against Sunderland at the weekend was his first for nine weeks because of injury, illness and a period of compassionate leave due to family issues.
But the Togo star’s prolonged absence hasn’t made Tottenham fans grow any fonder of a player who irritated them earlier this season, when he claimed the team performed better away from home due to the excessive pressure put on them by the White Hart Lane faithful.
Adebayor was already regarded by some as an uncommitted member of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad before that ill-judged outburst, so it was hardly surprising the 30-year-old was jeered by sections of the crowd when he returned to action at the weekend.
With Tottenham taking on Nigel Clough’s third tier side in the semi-final first leg at the Lane, Adebayor’s presence could overshadow an important night for the north Londoners.
But the former Arsenal and Manchester City star says he won’t be losing any sleep worrying about the fans’ reaction.
“I don’t want to understand it, but for me, I am not here to win any fans back. I just want to do my job as a professional. With my age, to be honest with you, I don’t want to look because, no matter what you do, there will always be some that hate you. I don’t know if I will win the fans over, I just want to play football and enjoy myself. I know if you do good, they will applaud you. I know if you do bad, they will boo you. It is as simple as that.”