Jermaine Jones isn’t feeling the love.
In an interview with reporter Max Bretos and former US national team teammate Herculez Gomez on ESPN’s Max & Herc Podcast, Jones admitted that he thinks he's underappreciated and deserves more respect.
“The criticism is always on me,” the LA Galaxy midfielder said. "Everybody tries it. If we lose the game, they always try to find the next guy who can play for Jermaine. It’s never somebody else; it is always me. Sometimes I’ll be honest, that pisses me off.”
Jones certainly has dealt with his fair share of criticism as some people believe the USMNT should be looking toward younger options to replace the 35-year-old leading into the 2018 World Cup — including at least one article on this website that he took exception to.
But the veteran midfielder, who scored a stunning goal at the 2014 World Cup, insists he can still be a valuable contributor in Russia, pointing to his deep pedigree in the Champions League and his belief that he’s often been the best USMNT player in big international tournaments.
Only then will he will happily step aside.
“I missed 2010, I missed 2006; to me 2014 was something special,” he said. “And I want to go again, I want to represent this country again. Trust me, after that, I will watch it on the TV, the national team. I will support them, but you will not see me in a jersey anymore.”
You can read the entire recap of his interview on ESPN FC and listen to the Max & Herc podcast here.
