Try telling Thomas Ince he lacks hunger.
Try telling the Blackpool winger he’d rather focus on tattoos than tactics.
Ince is as frustrated as everyone else by his England side’s humiliating, played-three, lost-three exit from the European Under-21 Championship currently being played in Israel.
But the 21-year-old son of former England captain Paul was bemused to hear his - and his team-mates’ - desire being questioned.
“I left the reserves at Liverpool to play first-team football on loan at Notts County.” said Ince junior, recently voted the Championship's Player of the Year.
“I went to play alongside grown men who played week in, week out to put food on the table for their families and all the rest of it.
“After I’d had that four- or five-month loan spell there I went back to Liverpool, I sat down with my Dad and I said: ‘Do you know what? I need more of that.’
“I don’t think that’s a lack of desire. I had the odd occasion where I would go up to Melwood and train with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. I could have signed an extended three-year contract, stayed at Liverpool and not played.
“But I wanted to work hard. I wanted to go out and play. At that point, Ian Holloway, the Blackpool manager at the time, gave me the chance to express myself and I took it. I will always be grateful for that.”
As for caring more about tattoos, Ince smiled: “I don’t have one! I think if I had a tattoo, my dad would probably kill me!”
Stuart Pearce’s youngsters have been buried under an avalanche of negative articles after losing to Italy, Norway and even hosts Israel, while scoring just one goal - a penalty - in the process.
The poor showing has led to a widespread belief that the players have been hyped up far too soon.
But Ince continued: “I don’t think it’s a case of us telling ourselves we are this and that. It was just the case that we didn’t turn up.
“We would be the first players to hold our hands up, but as far as people questioning the hunger and the desire to play in a major tournament and win it... no, I don’t think that’s the case at all.
“Look at the campaign that this England Under-21 side has gone through over the last two years to actually get to the Euros - we won nearly every game and we didn’t concede that many goals.
“It's very difficult for certain players.
“Look at the likes of Wilfried Zaha, who has had a very long season. He went to the Play-Off Final with Crystal Palace then comes to the Euros.
“Look at Danny Rose, who had a tough season at Sunderland [on loan from Spurs], who were fighting relegation.
“I wouldn’t say it’s down to tiredness, but it has been a long season for a lot of the players. Then factor in the travelling and the fact that the games come so quickly.
“Maybe we were not ready for all of that. I don’t know.
“All we can do is reflect on it and say that we need to do a lot better. Every single player knows that.”
Pearce’s position has been called into question, and talks with the FA are planned. But Ince has backed him to stay in his job.
He went on: “I’ve only had seven caps for the Under-21s.
“It was only really late on that I managed to work with him. But being an ex-player himself - and a good one - it is great to be under his management and I know a lot of the young players in the squad would want to be under his management again.”
It says a great deal for the Tangerines’ wideman that he has stepped out of the shadow of his father and is seen as a rising star in his own right.
His 18 goals, combined with his consistent performances, saw him voted Championship Young Player of the Year for the 2012-2013 campaign.
He is now expected to move to the Premier League, and is being linked with Liverpool (the club he left to join Blackpool, Tottenham, Crystal Palace,Cardiff and Swansea.
He went on: “I am going to go on holiday. When I get back in a few weeks, I’ll sit down with my dad and the chairman and go from there.
“If I am still a Blackpool player next season I will give 110 per cent - more than I did last season. I’ll be trying to get Blackpool back to where they should be - challenging at the top end of the division.
“If not, and I move on, then I have to make sure it’s the right club for me and the right time to go. Me and my dad have always said that it’s about timing, making sure I am taking the right step and not ending up at a team where you’re not going to play in the majority of games.
“I don’t expect, at 21, to play week-in, week-out at any Premier League club. There is no guarantee in football you are going to play at any club.
“I just want to make sure that I don’t stop my development. I want to make sure I keep playing and keep enjoying my football.”
