DAVID NGOG believes he has the mental strength to come through the penalty “dive” storm that has been the talk of English football.

Ngog won the spot-kick that earned Liverpool a 2-2 draw on Monday when he went to ground under a challenge from Birmingham substitute Lee Carsley.

However, television replays suggested there was no contact between the pair with Carsley saying “cheating” Ngog should be “embarrassed” by his actions.

The incident has reopened the debate over diving in English football, with Ngog held up by some as epitomising everything that is bad in the game.

But despite such fierce criticism, the 20-year-old is confident his experiences at previous club Paris Saint-Germain has given him the character to emerge from the current maelstrom.

“As a young player, it is ideal when you can play in a positive environment and the team is winning,” said Ngog. “But at PSG, that wasn’t possible.

“Because we were facing relegation, there were a lot of outside distractions that meant the younger players couldn’t perform as well as they probably could.

“It meant that I learnt a lot about being a professional footballer and dealing with pressure.

“Mentally, you have to be strong to move away from home and try to force your way into a team like Liverpool.

“I was comfortable in Paris with the lifestyle and living away was never really a thought before Liverpool made an approach for me. It has helped me to become wiser.

You learn more about yourself in the bad times than the good. If any person can come through difficulties in life, it will make him stronger in the future.

“So my experiences in the past are helping me now during a difficult spell for the team at Liverpool.”

Liverpool have won just one of their last nine games to fall 11 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea and stand on the brink of Champions League elimination.

Their Carling Cup hopes have already been dashed, and Ngog admits the team’s current form is unacceptable.