Jose Fonte hits back at 'ignorant' West Ham chairman David Sullivan for claiming his children 'begged' him not to sign the Portuguese defender

• e-mail

Jose Fonte has brushed off comments made my his own club's chairman that he was begged by his children not to sign the defender, labelling them 'ignorant'. 

West Ham chairman David Sullivan made the disparaging remarks about Fonte and team mate Robert Snodgrass in an interview, after signing the players last January. 

Fonte dismissed the claims, and said he was simply going to carry on trying to regain fitness after an ankle injury.

Jose Fonte has brushed off derogatory comments made my his own club's chairman

West Ham chairman David Sullivan made disparaging remarks about signing Fonte

Fonte said: 'It's ignorance. I'm not going to say anything. It's not going to change who I am, it's not going to change what I do.

'I'm going to keep being the good professional that I am. I am going to keep working hard to try and help my team-mates and the manager. What has been said has no effect on me or who I am.'

Fonte, 33, was criticised last season by a section of West Ham fans for his poor performances after joining from Southampton in January.

Fonte said he was simply going to carry on trying to regain fitness after an ankle injury

The centre back, a key figure in Portugal's Euro 2016 winning side, however does not think he has anything left to prove. 

He said: 'That decision is not for me, I am 33 years of age. I have 500 or 600 appearances. I know what I have done in football.

'I know how hard I have to work to be in this position. It makes no difference to me, I will still continue to be the same guy I have always been.'