You can't affect what other people think,' reflected Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward yesterday, in the aftermath of his country qualifying for the last 16 of the Euros.
'That's something that was instilled in me from my childhood. People are going to have opinions and there's nothing really which epitomises that more than football. You've just got to keep believing in your own ability.'
He related this philosophy calmly, in the midst of a conversation about the squad enjoying the Italian coffee and the high quality of the tomato sauce that comes with the pasta in Rome.
Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward has been one of the picks of the Euro 2020 tournament so far
Leicester 'keeper Ward has impressed with his aerial ability, communication and distribution
Ward's impressive tally of saves at Euro 2020
But there must have been many dark moments, these past few years, when the notion of being integral to Wales' progress in this tournament seemed utterly delusional.