Former Everton star Gerard Deulofeu has opened up on how Bill Kenwright didn’t want him to leave Goodison Park.
Last week, everton.news covered the story of Gerard Deulofeu.
The Spanish winger was a fan favourite during two spells at Everton, first on loan and then permanently.
Deulofeu has continued to keep Everton close to his heart, but he has been going through hell in recent times.
It’s been almost three years since Deulofeu last played a competitive game, and he is now attempting to make one of the most remarkable returns from injury.
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Gerard Deulofeu on his Everton exit plea to Bill Kenwright
Deulofeu is currently training with his former club Udinese as he attempts to make a remarkable comeback.
The former Barcelona talent has now taken the time to speak to Everton’s official YouTube channel as he continues his recovery.
Deulofeu spoke about his time at Everton and the situation surrounding his departure back in 2017.
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After being signed by Roberto Martinez, Deulofeu didn’t quite fit into Ronald Koeman’s plans.
Deulofeu was loaned to AC Milan before being sold back to Barcelona, but only after Bill Kenwright backed down.
Deulofeu asked Kenwright to let him go, but the late former Everton chairman didn’t want to accept his departure, because Deulofeu was one of his favourite players.
A deal was done in the end, with Deulofeu explaining that he was going through a really difficult time in Liverpool.
“I really don’t understand. I don’t understand, and at the same time, I do understand now from experience what happens when a new coach comes in. A new person changes things completely because they don’t know you. Roberto Martinez already knew me from the first year. In football, things can change in an instant.
“It’s true that I didn’t really understand why I wasn’t playing because I think I had a lot of potential if you let me play to my full capacity. But that’s it, another lesson learned.
“That year, I only had to suffer a few months because, luckily, I was able to go to Milan, which is a great team in Italy, and I was very happy there from January to June. So, it was a difficult few months there in Liverpool, and I remember suffering so much that I asked Kenwright, the chairman, saying: ‘please let me leave because I’m having a hard time and I want to be happy again’.
“He didn’t want to because I was one of his favourite players. But in the end, luckily, I think he let me leave and that was that,” he added.
Gerard Deulofeu slammed ex-Everton boss Ronald Koeman
Koeman was sacked just a few months after selling Deulofeu, and he wasn’t the most popular Everton manager ever.
Oumar Niasse had his problems with Koeman, and Deulofeu really wasn’t a fan either.
Deulofeu told Onda Cero in 2020 that Koeman ‘absolutely added nothing’ to his career in a withering verdict on their time together.
“Speaking from my experience, I have very little to say about Koeman,” said Deulofeu.
“The six months I was at Everton with him, he absolutely added nothing [to my career],” he added.
Koeman certainly didn’t see what Kenwright saw in Deulofeu, and the loan move to Milan was the beginning of the end for him at Goodison Park.
Everton fans still have a soft spot for Deulofeu, though, and will hope to see him return to the pitch soon.