However, his Premier League form has been solid and he has established himself as the team's no.1.
"It's his mindset," he told the official club magazine of his idol, boxer Muhammad Ali.
"It was not something easy. He had to pass through a lot of difficulties and he was only looking at the positive side, the positive parts. He was very positive and that is what I like.
"You know, no matter what happens in life, I've always said that it cannot rain forever, the sun will shine. And yet the sun will not shine forever, the rain will come. So just find a good balance, especially when you are a football player.
"When you have a bad day, a better day will come," he vowed. "It's not when you are having a bad day that you feel it will never change. It will change but it's not because you are having a good day that it will stay forever.
"Everything is temporary and you have to know how to manage that. When you are in a bad mood, take a positive. When you are in a good mood, take a positive. Just enjoy yourself and be happy, be with the people you love and always stay positive."