Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack admits handling the media spotlight can be a skill in itself for pro footballers.

The Germany captain told Chelsea magazine: "That's a big part of being a footballer today. You can't expect your life to only be about football.

" The further you go in the game, dealing with the media becomes bigger and bigger to the point where you're seeing your name in the paper or on TV everyday and you need to be mentally strong to be able to deal with that."