CHRIS SMALLING has hit back at Jose Mourinho after the manager was sacked by Roma.
Smalling has been out of action since the start of September with a knee injury, playing just three times this season.
And he was criticised by Mourinho in November and his ability to play through pain was questioned.
But Smalling returned fire at his former boss in a defiant statement.
He replied: "Since signing for AS Roma in 2019, my commitment and loyalty to the club has never wavered.
Man Utd back-up goalkeeper Martin Dubravka recalled by Newcastle
"The minute I stepped foot in Roma, I instantly felt at home. Roma is my home, and the relationship I have built with AS Roma fans is something I cherish dearly.
"For that reason I wanted to jump on here to address some of the rumours that I have seen circulating over recent months.
"Let me start by clarifying that I have never asked to, nor even contemplated, leaving this great club.
"Speaking openly, the last few months have proved to be some of the most frustrating of my career.
"There are things in this game and in life that we can control, and others we simply can't. This injury has been one thing that we couldn't.
FREE BETS - BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
"No footballer wants to spend their days in a treatment room, and this period of time away from my team-mates has challenged me, with setback after setback.
"I have, and will always, put the needs of my team-mates first, but the absolute priority for the medical team is to guarantee that I can play a significant role in the latter part of the season and for seasons to come."
Mourinho's outburst led to speculation that Smalling was ready to leave Italy in the winter window.
The Special One said at the time: “Regarding Smalling, the injury is very much there.
Lucas Perez pays part of own transfer fee to rejoin beloved Deportivo
"There are also regular people like us, who aren’t high-performance athletes, who have a greater pain threshold.
"Maybe I can sleep fine with toothache, maybe you struggle. That’s how it is. Smalling isn’t capable of playing through pain."
But the centre-back - who also worked with Mourinho at Manchester United - may now get the last laugh.
The Portuguese was sacked by Roma earlier following a poor run of results.