By all accounts, Everton will be on the hunt for a new striker this summer ahead of the move to their new stadium.
As things stand, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set to leave Everton and it’s also been confirmed that Armando Broja will not be signed permanently from Chelsea.
Therefore, David Moyes will have just Beto and Youssef Chermiti at his disposal next term, which isn’t quite enough, especially when you compare the duo to strikers who have come and gone at Goodison Park over the years.
Romelu Lukaku’s stint at Everton will live long in the memory, and Wayne Rooney will always be a legend in blue.
And although he was a striker of that echelon himself, former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o won’t quite be remembered in the same way among Everton fans.
Thierry Henry praises former Everton striker Samuel Eto’o
Eto’o arrived at Everton under Roberto Martinez on a free transfer from Chelsea in 2014 at the age of 33-years-old, a striker who was clearly past his peak.
And in his 20 appearances for the club, he was only able to score four goals before he accepted an offer to join Sampdoria in Italy.
That being said, Thierry Henry was recently reminiscing about the striker’s talent when speaking on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast.
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
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And in turn, Henry perhaps explained why Eto’o wasn’t very effective at either Chelsea or Everton later in his career — he had lost a huge part of his game, his pressing.
Henry lauded his former Barcelona teammate and also gave an example of his brilliant ability to defend from the front in the 2009 Champions League final vs Manchester United.
Henry said: “Sam was outstanding, by the way. Sam, putting pressure, and my god, people always talk about his finishing and his this and his that.”
“Sam was outstanding. Sam did something in the final, he went on the right alone and put Leo [Messi] in the middle because Leo started on the right.
“Watch the final again — Sam went alone on the right to defend Patrice Evra.”
Samuel Eto’o was ‘disappointed’ to leave Everton
Speaking back in 2019, Eto’o did somewhat lift the lid on his time at Everton, expressing some regret that it was so short-lived.
Everton fans never saw the best of the Cameroon international, even if he was ‘very happy’ at Goodison Park.
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Speaking in Everton’s matchday programme at the time, Eto’o said: “I was disappointed to be at Everton for only a short period.
“I don’t think the fans ever saw the real Samuel Eto’o. A bit like at Chelsea, I don’t think they saw the best of me there either.
“I had another offer and I wasn’t featuring too much at Everton, so I went to speak to the gaffer [Martinez], saying that for a player like me I would have liked the chance to enjoy more playing time.
“I had less and less time left in the game. I was very happy with Everton but I had the chance to go and play in another league and enjoy my football a bit longer.
“He said that was okay and to think about it but my mind was made up and in the end he helped me with the transfer.”