Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous insists he is “never going to change” his approach as long as he continues to have the backing of manager Jack Ross.
The 22-year-old has served two suspensions already this season, following a red card and five bookings.
However, his form was acknowledged by a late call-up for Scotland’s World Cup qualifier against Denmark last month.
“I’m never going to change. I’ve got to where I am because of who I am and how I play,” Porteous told BBC Scotland.
“If it was ever a problem, I think people in this building would be telling me that. The gaffer is constantly reminding me of how good a player I am and how good a season I’m having.”
Porteous has been involved in several flashpoints against Rangers in recent seasons and was widely criticised after getting sent off for a challenge on Joe Aribo at Ibrox in October.
He then played a key role in shutting Rangers down in a League Cup semi-final success but was back in the spotlight against the same opponents when conceding a late penalty at Easter Road at the start of this month.
On that occasion, Ross was full of praise for the centre-back’s performance and absolved him of any blame for the match-deciding spot-kick.
Often a target for fans of other teams, Porteous shrugs off the clamour from the stands.
“That’s just football,” he said. “People pay their money and they’re entitled to an opinion. If I dish it out they’ll take it and when they dish it out I’ll take it. It’s fun really.”
Hibs face a backlog of games after two Covid-related postponements and setting up a date with Celtic in the League Cup final but playing twice a week throughout December is not a problem for Porteous, although results have dipped dramatically, with six defeats in the last eight Premiership outings.
“I love playing football, the more games the better, for me,” he said.
“League form has been disappointing but I don’t think we are too far off where we want to be.
“We don’t just want to be a cup team. We want to be a team securing third or fourth place every year.”
