Marouane Fellaini's commitment to Everton is not being questioned by his team-mates, insists Toffees defender Phil Jagielka.
Fellaini was booed off the Goodison Park pitch by Everton fans during their surprise 3-0 defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup two weeks ago, after the Belgian put in a below-par performance.
The 25-year-old has also hinted at his desire to quit Everton at the end of the season, with both Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly keen on his signature.
But Jagielka, who misses England's World Cup qualifier in San Marino tonight through injury, insists Fellaini's commitment is not in question.
'Felli has taken all the beatings for us throughout the season and he will feel sometimes like the world is against him. Sometimes it has been,' said the centre-back.
'You can forget he is not that old. He hasn't grown up in the Premier League for all his career and hasn't been at this level as long as others.
'He had a painful ankle problem before the [Manchester] City game and he could have milked it and missed the game before disappearing off on international week. But he was desperate to play.
'He strapped himself up and put in a great performance. You cannot question his commitment.'
Jagielka also added Everton fans shouldn't be frustrated with Fellaini's disciplinary problems, despite the fact the Belgian will miss the Toffees' next two games after picking up his tenth booking of the season in last weekend's victory over Manchester City.
'We know what sort of person he is and I'd like to think most fans would consider what he's done for the club this season,' he said.
'We can forgive him for five minutes of ultra frustration which bubbled over. It's good to see that he's up for it because when he's like that it makes us a lot stronger as a team.'
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~Metro » Football | Metro UK~Read more... Phil Jagielka: Marouane Fellaini's commitment to Everton not in doubt
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