Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor says that the criticism he received earlier this season had helped him to rediscover his form.

The Togolese hit-man looked to be on his way out of White Hart Lane in the opening months of the campaign, with former boss Andre Villas-Boas having deemed him to be surplus to requirements.

However, since Tim Sherwood’s arrival the ex-Arsenal and Manchester City man has been back to his best, with his five Premier League goals having made him the Lilywhites’ top forward.

Adebayor maintains that he always had confidence in his abilities, and that the criticism he received only served to spur him on:

"I remember in early September when I went back home and did an interview saying it would not take me long to be the number one striker again in Tottenham, a lot of fans, not everyone, jumped on that, 'Oh, who does he think he is?," he is quoted by The Express.

"These are the things that give me more motivation and these are the things that keep me going.

"When you wake up and you realise that there are a lot of haters out there and you want to prove them wrong, you just keep focused and keep doing what you love best, which is playing football, scoring goals and having fun."

Sherwood’s presence has been a major factor in Adebayor’s re-emergence, with the recently arrived Tottenham coach having put a lot of faith in the 29-year-old.

The controversial goal-getter is thankful for his manager’s faith, and describes him as an “unbelievable” man:

"I know Tim quite well, so for me, to be honest with you, I was impressed because I know the manager, the person, the personality," the frontman added.

"I know what he can bring into the club and we all see what he has brought into the club.

"For me, he is an unbelievable man, a nice guy with a huge character.”

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