Magaye Gueye, who kept some big names out of the Everton line-up for an FA Cup semi-final, turns 35 today
Gueye during pre-season at Everton in 2010 (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
It may be 13 years ago. But the idea that Magaye Gueye started ahead of an Everton legend and a former Real Madrid player in a semi-final against Liverpool at Wembley is jarring.
The Frenchman, who turns 35 today, burned brightly and briefly during a four-year stint with the Blues after joining for £1m from Strasbourg in 2010.
"I am someone very ambitious, I have always dreamt to play in a great league, it has always been in my mind," he said upon arrival.
"The coach was following me for six months. He wants me to succeed to play like Steven Pienaar. He even said I am his 'secret weapon'. I am always in the group, the coach will feel the right moment to play me."
Those early months did prove to be a waiting game for Gueye. He made his competitve debut in the League Cup in 2010-11 but had to wait until April that year to get his first Premier League minutes against Aston Villa. His first top-flight start came a week later against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Compatriot Sylvain Distin was impressed with what he saw from the young forward in his debut season.
"Magaye has got tremendous quality," said the defender. "He's a good guy with a great mentality. He has wanted to play for a long time, and just when he was about to get his chance he got injured. But he did well against Villa and everyone saw his quality."
It was the season after when Gueye enjoyed his best run in the team though. The Frenchman produced an excellent cross to set up Nikica Jelavic in the FA Cup quarter-final replay win against Sunderland and a couple of weeks later he would score his first Premier League goal against the same opposition.
Subsequently Gueye earned a spot in the XI for the semi-final showdown with Liverpool at Wembley. Seamus Coleman was left on the bench, while the enigmatic Royston Drenthe was famously left out of the squad entirely.
Everton would eventually lose in heartbreaking fashion to a late Andy Carroll goal. Gueye, who was ineffective throughout, was withdrawn and replaced by Coleman with 25 minutes to go.
As devastating as it was, that day arguably proved to be the high point of Gueye's Everton career. The following season he was sent out on loan to Brest in January and he played only nine minutes under Roberto Martinez in the 2013-14 season, netting in the FA Cup Fourth Round against Stevenage.
In the end, Everton and Gueye mutually agreed to terminate his contract with a year left to run on it at the end of that campaign.
"The club would like to thank Magaye for his contribution over the last four years and wish him every success for the future," said a statement on the club website.
The winger signed a one-year deal with Millwall, although he only stayed there a season. Spells with Adanspor, Osmanlispor and Qarabag followed before a stint at Dinamo Bucuresti.
However, as reported by Emanuel Rosu, in March 2021 he tested positive for cocaine after a match against FCSB in the Romanian Cup. "Dinamo itself asked for a anti-drug test because they found FCSB's physical form to be suspicious," Rosu added.
The findings meant that Gueye was let go by Dinamo when his contract expired. After a brief spell with Anagennisi Karditsas in 2022, the Frenchman is now without a club.