Soccer:Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli insists he is happy with life at Eastlands. The Italy international greeted each of his three goals against Aston Villa last week with a muted celebration, leading some to question his attitude and his passion for the club.
The 20-year-old has already shown petulance on the field since his £24million move from Inter Milan in the summer and such a display of indifference in the 4-0 win over Villa sparked speculation he is unhappy at City, despite being in contention for the Premier League title.
Roberto Mancini, who brought Balotelli through while in charge at Inter, admitted after the game that the youngster should have celebrated his hat-trick more, joking that "every day I fight against Mario and sometimes I would like to give him a punch".
But Balotelli, left out of Saturday's 1-0 win over Blackpool due to a minor knee problem, is adamant his desire for City to succeed should not be questioned.
"I want City's supporters to know this - when I heard them chant my name the other night, as I scored those three goals, it gave me a really warm feeling inside," he told the Mail on Sunday. "Sometimes I don't smile outwardly but I am smiling inside and that is how it was when I heard them."
There have been reports that Balotelli has struggled to settle in Manchester due to homesickness, but he stresses he has never made an issue of it.
"Did you ever hear me say that?" he added. "Sure, it is normal to miss your home and your family but I can see my family and friends here, too. My mother was here just recently."
Balotelli signed a five-year contract with City and although the ambitious Blues are reportedly lining up a move for Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko this month, he insists he has no intention of cutting short his time at Eastlands.
"I don't know exactly how long I will stay with City but I have the contract and I want to respect it," added Balotelli. "I want to win the league with Manchester City and I think we can do it this season. We have the players. I want to repay Roberto Mancini, too. Since I was 17 he has been the most important coach in my career."
