Kieffer Moore was pleased to silence the Sheffield United fans after his double inspired a superb Wrexham fightback on Boxing Day.
The Wales international, who left Bramall Lane last summer after one indifferent campaign with the Blades, struck twice as Wrexham rallied from 3-1 down to win 5-3 at Stok Cae Ras.
Moore failed to win over United supporters and was criticised after his error led to Sunderland’s winner in last season’s Championship play-off final.
The 33-year-old said: “You get criticism, you get praise. You need to keep on an even keel. You can’t take it too harshly, and you can’t take the praise too big.
“But I’m delighted for myself. (They can) keep saying what they can say, and I can just keep producing on the pitch.”
Asked if he had been inspired by some of the criticism, he said: “Yes, absolutely!”
Wrexham conceded twice to Patrick Bamford, either side of a Tyler Bindon own goal, inside the opening 15 minutes.
Callum O’Hare added a third for the visitors but Moore reduced the arrears and Ryan Longman levelled.
Moore then put them ahead for the first time and a Josh Windass penalty completed the fightback.
It was Wrexham’s first win in six outings and lifted them to 13th in the table.
Manager Phil Parkinson said: “I think we played well in the first half but those three moments we could do better with, albeit Bamford is a really good player.
“We said to the lads at half-time we had to defend our box better, we were up against a high-calibre team. But we felt that if we carried on playing in the way we had done that chances would come to us and we’ve taken them.”
Blades boss Chris Wilder bemoaned the fact Moore was allowed to leave the club.
Wilder was not in charge at the time with the transfer being agreed between his two latest spells as manager.
Wilder said: “It had nothing to do with me but I know what he’d be doing now, and he wouldn’t be wearing a Wrexham shirt.
“I think it might have changed a few people’s views on him, and the importance of him last season and the importance of him for the home team today.
“The timings of goals were really poor. We have to get both parts of the game right, and we certainly didn’t, but Kieffer has done what Kieffer does.”
Wilder hopes United can secure the services of Bamford for longer, with the former Leeds striker’s short-term deal due to expire on New Year’s Day.
He said: “I can’t really do anything about it. It’s with the owners and Pat.
“He’s done what he needed to do, from our point of view. He’s been really good on and off the pitch. He’s produced really top performances.”
