In total, Roberto Martinez was in charge for 143 games at Everton after he left Wigan Athletic for Goodison Park in 2013.
Martinez had just come off the back of a FA Cup win with Wigan, something he sadly wasn’t able to repeat with Everton.
When remembering the Spaniard’s time on Merseyside, it’s hard not to also picture one Romelu Lukaku starting alongside, who was at the club for a total of 166 games, scoring 87 goals.
Of course, not every striker was so successful around that era at Goodison, Arouna Kone for example failed to score in his six appearances in the 2013/14 season.
And it was an injury to Kone that year that inspired his compatriot, Lacina Traore, to join the club on loan in January.
Lacina Traore only played two games for Everton before returning to Monaco
In a peculiar tale, Traore only ended up making two appearances for Everton, scoring one goal and playing 62 minutes.
At the time, Nikica Jelavic had just been sold and Martinez was short of options up top.
Everton player Lacina Traore (l) celebrates the opening goal during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Everton and Swansea City at Goodison Park ...
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
READ MORE: I failed a trial at Everton but am now the 2nd most valuable player in Europe
As it goes, 203cm Traore – the joint tallest player in Premier League history – was supposed to be joining West Ham United before an injury scuppered the move.
The striker had only just joined AS Monaco from Russian side Anzi Makhachkala, but the club were still willing to loan him out.
West Ham had a work permit secured, but a slight hamstring issue delayed things, and that’s when Everton stole in.
Traore travelled to Finch Farm for a medical and he was ready to go – well, once he had recovered from his injury.
The deal took place on January 24th and then Traore made his Everton debut in a 3-1 win over Swansea City in the FA Cup in February, scoring a backheel in the process.
READ MORE: Everton flop inspiring new club’s title charge as manager says he’s ‘truly an example’
Lacina Traore enjoyed the best scoring record of his career at Everton
Unfortunately, Traore suffered a repeat of his hamstring injury and didn’t play again until May, featuring for one minute against Hull City on the final day of the Premier League season.
Traore then returned to Monaco and never played in England again.
Now 34-years-old, Traore retired in 2023 after playing in six more countries following his time at Everton.
Club Games Goals
CFR Cluj 82 21
Anzi Makhachkala 46 18
Kuban Krasnodar 39 18
AS Monaco 35 11
CSKA Moscow 21 6
Amiens SC 18 0
Bandirmaspor 16 0
Ujpest FC 9 3
Sporting Gijon 8 2
Varzim SC 5 0
Everton FC 2 1
Lacina Traore’s all-time goal record (source: Transfermarkt).
Unsurprisingly, Traore enjoyed the best goal-rate of his career at Everton, unable to repeat his one in two record anywhere else.
A unique talent, who was actually the kind of target man that Sean Dyche would have enjoyed working alongside, had he arrived at Everton 10 years earlier.
Related Posts