Jeremy Menez is keen to shake off his "bad boy" image at AC Milan and prove his critics wrong in the new season.
The French attacking midfielder attracted some unwanted headlines during his Roma days, and fell out of favour with Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc last season.
The 27-year-old joined the Rossoneri in the summer, and said he was now more than ready to prove himself.
"The fact I'm a bad boy is a load of bulls---, if you can excuse the term," Menez told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"People have the wrong impression of me and I want to prove that I'm a cool person, both on and off the field. I'm not saying I've always been a saint, but I've grown up now and I feel different.
"I was young when I was at Roma, and I made two or three mistakes -- but I've realised the errors of my ways. And to anybody who continues to criticise my performances, all I can say is that, in my first two seasons at PSG, I scored almost 20 goals and provided 30 assists."
Those performances were under coach Carlo Ancelotti, but things changed when Blanc took charge.
"Ancelotti's a fantastic person and he was like a father to me," Menez explained. "He's the best coach I've ever had, and I hope to work under him again one day.
With Blanc, I don't know why things were so difficult. Sadly, when somebody doesn't like me, there's nothing I can do. You've just got to respect people's choices, but I couldn't wait for the season to end.
"Maybe it was a bit my own fault, but not more than 20 percent -- actually, not even more than 10 percent. The fact is, when I feel somebody has faith in me, then I give everything I've got, and with him, I didn't feel anything."
At Milan, he can expect to feel that faith from coach Filippo Inzaghi, who flew to Ibiza to sign him even before he was officially appointed.
"Inzaghi convinced me immediately," Menez said. "That's why I chose Milan. I feel I've got a great understanding with the coach and I can't fail because he's giving me so much, and I'd give everything for him.
"I knew him already as a player and he had a lot of charisma and was very determined, just like now."
