Reece James has urged football fans to show some respect to in-form striker Tammy Abraham as he continues to impress in Italy.
The 24-year-old left Chelsea last summer for £34million to join Roma, where he has rediscovered his top form and even gone a step further.
The England international has scored 23 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions – proving that he can cut it among the best strikers in Europe since his arrival in Serie A under Jose Mourinho.
The Englishman chose to leave after previously pecking behind Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner at Stamford Bridge last season with the Blues spending £97million on Lukaku last summer.
It proved to be the right decision for the youngster, who has been recalled to the England squad and produced in both Serie A and the Europa Conference League, as both Lukaku and Werner have fallen behind Kai Havertz in the Blues pecking order.
Reece James said on Instagram: “Number don’t lie. Have some respect please.’
His post came after the former Aston Villa loan star helped Roma to a 3-0 win over Lazio.
The win put Roma in sixth place, eight points behind Juventus, which is in fourth place.
But without Abraham’s goals, it’s hard to imagine that this group will remain in contention for Champions League football next season.
Abraham’s first on Sunday came in the opening minute as he hooked in from close range after reacting fastest to a corner from Lorenzo Pellegrini hitting the crossbar.
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That finish, at just 56 seconds, left Abraham becoming only the second Englishman to score in the prestigious derby match, the second after Paul Gascoigne in 1992, who played for Lazio.
Abraham’s second was an acrobatic one when he flew in a cross from Rick Karsdorp.
Mourinho’s side added a third as Pellegrini produced a luscious 25-yard free kick to seal the win.
Prior to his move to Italy last season, Abraham managed to score 12 goals in 32 games in all competitions, despite having a hard time finding starts.