Eddie Johnson has explained his reasons for celebrating the way he did last time he scored for the Seattle Sounders.
The USA international netted the only goal of the night as the Sounders defeated Columbus Crew 1-0 on August 31, scoring with a glancing header in the 15th minute.
After putting the ball into the back of the net, Johnson ran towards the Sounders bench rubbing his thumbs and forefingers together and mouthing the words 'pay me' on a number of occasions.
The celebration attracted criticism from Sounders fans but Johnson says it is due to the fact that he wants to stay at the club so badly that he is after more money.
"Sometimes as an athlete or as a human being you go through so much in your life, and no one is perfect," Johnson said.
"It wasn't anything about me trying to come at the club, just sometimes different people have different upbringings. In my sake, I don't come from a lot. I come from a mom who was a single mom - I'm one of three - and my whole thing in playing this sport and being a father of two is being able to provide for all of them.
"When you work hard in life, sometimes you just want to be rewarded. But at the same time you have to be patient. I guess it was the first thing that came to my mind, but that's behind me.
"I came off Twitter because a lot of the fans didn't like that, but just for the fans, I'm happy here in Seattle. I couldn't be happier to be in a professional environment playing with great players and in a professional organization."
