Gerard Deulofeu has now been away from Everton since 2017, but he’s also been recovering from a serious injury over the last three years.
The Spaniard is now without a club, having left Udinese earlier in the year and not played a single minute of football since early 2023.
Deulofeu played more games for Everton than he did at any other club over the course of his career.
Having suffered a major ACL injury, Udinese have supported Deulofeu’s recovery despite releasing the forward back in January.
David Moyes did not manage the 31-year-old during his time on Merseyside, but he reflects on his time with a lot of fondness.
Speaking to the club during a recent interview, the Spaniard shared what he has missed the most about the Toffees.
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What Gerard Deulofeu misses most about Everton
Last year, Deulofeu sent a heartfelt message to the Everton fans as he was going through his difficult recovery stint.
Despite only playing 75 times for the Blues, it was a period of the winger’s career which he continues to reminisce about.
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During the discussion with the club’s media team, Deulofeu admitted it was the Everton fans which he misses most having departed Merseyside.
“Hi Evertonians, I’m here doing this interview. You know how much I love your club, how much I love you as Evertonians,” he said.
“I miss you a lot, for sure! I miss the Premier League, playing with Everton and you know that my feeling with you, with the Toffees, is always special.”
Deulofeu has regularly spoken about Everton on social media, with the winger reacting to a number of posts in the past made by the club.
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As he goes through his recovery journey, it will delight him to see the response he has received from the Everton fans in reaction to the interview done with the club.
What Pep Guardiola once said about Gerard Deulofeu
During his 75 appearances on Merseyside, Deulofeu returned eight goals and 17 assists across all competitions.
However, it was during his time in Spain where he was able to get his hands on silverware.
Gerard Deulofeu trophies Times won
La Liga 2
Spanish Cup Winner 1
Spanish Super Cup 1
Europa League 1
He did not exactly feature much at Barcelona with just 23 appearances to his name, but he did earn the praise of Pep Guardiola during the coach’s early time at Manchester City.
“He’s one of the best talents I’ve seen in one to one (situations), some people criticise him because of his lack of defence but he has gone a step ahead and he’s a special player,” Guardiola said.
With so much talent, there may well be a feeling that he could have benefited from returning to Merseyside after his time with Barcelona.