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If there is one thing a player loves more than performing for his fans, it is proving a point to those who criticise them. Shutting up critics gives them immense satisfaction.
Of course, there are numerous players who shut the world out and just go about their business. But in the 21st century, where there is no escape from social media, they are bound to read or hear about what fans and pundits have to say about them.
They may be respectable people on and off the pitch with no sourness on the outside but deep down they will be satisfied with how their season has gone so far following numerous opinions that pointed to the contrary.
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Here are five players who have silenced their critics in 2017/18.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
The term 'Goal Machine' and Cristiano Ronaldo have been synonymous for the better part of the last decade and yet the Portuguese forward had his worst start ever to the 2017/18 Spanish La Liga season.
At 32 (when the season started), many expected him to be on the wane despite his phenomenal fitness record. The struggles in the league only seemed to confirm it. And his struggles mirrored Real Madrid's form as Zinedine Zidane's side dropped to eighth place earlier in the season.
To make matters worse, his arch-rival Lionel Messi was racing away - as were Barcelona. The title race is pretty much over in Spain with almost no hope for Los Blancos to catch up. By the end of 2017, Ronaldo only had 4 league goals to his name.
However, at the turn of the year, he managed to bring his Champions League goalscoring form (9 goals in 6 games) to La Liga. With Karim Benzema also in dire form and Gareth Bale not fully fit, the onus was on him to deliver - and he did!
He became the first player to score a perfect hat-trick in La Liga this season. Playing more as a centre-forward rather than a wide forward in most games, Ronaldo began climbing the charts, scoring at will. In 2018 alone he has 21 goals so far in all competitions.
In the race for the Pichichi (La Liga Golden Boot), he is now just three goals behind Messi who is on 25 goals. Across all competitions, though, there is nobody better in Europe's top five leagues at the moment.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
'£34m for a player who 'flopped' in the Premier League? Surely Liverpool have made a mistake?'
That was the thought process when Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah - a former Chelsea player who was - at his best - a bit-part player at Stamford Bridge that scored just twice during his first stint in England.
One has to remember, though, that the £34m seemed like a big deal back then because PSG were yet to trigger Neymar's release clause that saw the transfer market and transfer fees descend into insanity.
However, Jurgen Klopp knew exactly what to do with him. In a season where they were destined to lose their biggest star in Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January, the German manager made Salah the focus of the Reds' attack and it worked.
Ably supported by Roberto Firmino, Salah made English defences dance to his tunes. His travails in a blue shirt were but a distant memory as the Egyptian caught up with Golden Boot leader Harry Kane and then surpassed him.
£34m might now just be the bargain of the season!
#3 James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich)
Signed by Real Madrid in 2014 for a fee that could potentially have been £71m, James Rodriguez saw his career fizzle out at the Santiago Bernabeu as Zinedine Zidane struggled to get the best out of him in a midfield that already had Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Isco competing for places.
Left out of the squad for the Champions League final and with the number of minutes he was getting decreasing every season (2290 minutes in 2014/15 to 1180 minutes in 2016/17), Real made the decision to loan him to Bayern Munich. They didn't really need him and were winning games without his help.
Unwilling to cut their losses on the 26-year-old attacking midfielder just yet, they made it a two-year loan deal - in the hope that he would regain his touch in Germany.
And under Jupp Heynckes, Rodriguez has arguably been one of Bayern Munich's best players this season. The Colombian was deployed in a central midfield role where he now has 4 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga this season so far.
"I think Munich is a beautiful city, the club is great and I would like to stay here for many years. I feel great here at the moment and you can see that reflected out on the pitch." - James Rodriguez
With Thiago Alcantara sidelined with injury for weeks on end, Rodriguez stepped in and fit in seamlessly. His ability to wander into space to initiate attacks and set up the killer pass is what set him apart.
Even Heynckes couldn't believe his luck, claiming: "In his current form and how he has integrated himself, James is a God-send for Bayern Munich." The veteran boss has even pushed Rodriguez, telling him how he can improve even further with gentle pushes in the right direction.
#4 Paulinho (Barcelona)
To be very honest, I was one of many who criticised Barcelona for spending £36.4m on Paulinho. The Brazilian midfielder was a Tottenham Hotspur outcast and thought to be nowhere close to the calibre of a club such as Barcelona.
Barely a few fans attended his unveiling and only one fan had a Paulinho shirt - given to him by the club (if social media is to be believed). Nobody spent good money to get his name printed on the Blaugrana shirt.
It was an uninspiring signing in the wake of Neymar's sale (Ousmane Dembele was still just a target). For a player who used to get dispossessed a lot even in China to sign for a club that prized keeping the ball was a definite head-scratcher.
But Ernesto Valverde had plans for him and they worked. Switching Barcelona to a 4-4-2, Paulinho was deployed as the box-to-box midfielder, charged with making runs to keep defences busy. It eventually allowed him to score goals too - either by Barcelona's design or pouncing on rebounds.
Barcelona have also been defensively solid thanks to the double pivot of Paulinho and Sergio Busquets earlier in the season. Their ability to break up play and Paulinho's runs to initiate counter-attacks saw them thrive together.
Lionel Messi (25) and Luis Suarez (21) obviously lead the goalscoring charts for the club in La Liga. In third place? Paulinho with 8 goals. Nobody else has more than 3.
#5 Willian (Chelsea)
Willian has never really established himself as a sure-shot starter at Chelsea but he has been one of those players who always rose to the occasion when the situation demanded it.
Back in Mourinho's final tumultuous season, the Brazilian was the only player who seemed fit enough to wear the shirt - what with those free-kicks coming to the Blues' rescue time and again.
However, he has been rotated in and out of the squad following Pedro's arrival. Antonio Conte has preferred the Spaniard in most games to play opposite Eden Hazard. The fans saw it the same way too with Pedro having a far more productive season than Willian.
This season, Willian has played on the wing and in a central attacking role - excelling in the latter - while Pedro has struggled to match last season's output. Once a player that many fans wanted out, a revitalised Willian is now the toast of the Blues.
"I'm happy here and the fans can be calm. I'm always happy here at Chelsea. I really like this club a lot with my heart." - Willian
Now, in the business end of the season, Willian has come into his own with four Man of the Match performances in Chelsea's last seven games. He has even replaced the inconsistent Hazard as the Blues' primary threat in attack.
With 14 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, he has actually contributed more than Alvaro Morata (13 goals and 5 assists) has this season even though the Spaniard has played more minutes.
Why would they sell him?
