Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May welcomes European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to Downing Street in London, Britain April 26, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday he has noted that British Prime Minister Theresa May was a “tough lady” but that he respected her and liked her as a person.

Juncker was asked by reporters to comment on remarks by May on Tuesday that she had been described by one of her colleagues “as a bloody difficult woman” and that Juncker would be the next person to find that out in the course of Brexit negotiations.

“I deeply respect the British prime minister, I like her as a person. I have noted that she is a tough lady, so this is not for the future, this is a real-time description,” Juncker told reporters.

He also said talk of Britain walking out of negotiations on Britain leaving the EU was wrong.

“I think that (British Brexit minister) David Davies was not right when he was threatening that he would be ready to go out. My experience in politics always was that those who go out have to come back,” he said.