Dan Micchiche, now leading Al Ahli's academy, discussed working with Youssef Chermiti at Finch Farm
Dominic Calvert-Lewin left Everton last summer
Dominic Calvert-Lewin left Everton last summer(Image: Getty Images)
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Youssef Chermiti was initially signed to become Everton’s first-choice forward, a former club coach said.
Dan Micchiche worked closely with the striker at Finch Farm in his role as head of elite player development and saw a talent he believed would flourish if the right opportunities came his way.
That was not to be at the Blues, but Chermiti is now growing his reputation in Scotland and enjoyed another standout moment in his first season at Rangers when, on Sunday, his hat-trick against league leaders Hearts blew open the title race.
It was a big moment for Chermiti, who also scored a brace in a comeback Old Firm derby win against Celtic at the start of the year but has continued to come under fire from some sections of the fanbase.
For Micchiche, who left Everton last year for a role in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli, there is little surprise the 21-year-old has had the fortitude to respond to his critics. He told the Daily Record: “He wanted to work and learn. He’s a very polite boy and very humble. He had a lot of potential, which was the key to Rangers getting him. I think they’re reaping the rewards now for all the work he put in.
“I’m not surprised that he hasn’t let criticism affect him. Look at where he’s come from. He arrived at Everton from Sporting Lisbon so he’s played in big games. At Everton, it’s not an easy club to play for or work for. It’s a passionate club in a passionate city so you must have something about you at 19 to train with Premier League players every day and play against Goodison Park.
“When I was working with him, he was playing in first-team games. He played well against Brentford at home and I remember him coming on at Luton in a really physical game and dealing with it. So he’s always had a strong temperament. He’s had a few injuries as well that he’s had to cope with.”
The Portugal youth international suffered misfortune after signing for the Blues in the summer of 2023. Then-manager Sean Dyche conceded that he felt Chermiti was too inexperienced to play a significant role in the first team’s battle against points deductions and relegations that season - but also believed the squad was too threadbare to allow him to seek experience on loan.
Chermiti then started the following pre-season in fine form until a serious foot injury ended his hopes of bursting into the first team. He then suffered another setback in January while on the cusp of a return. With Beto hitting form under the newly-appointed David Moyes and the club then signing Thierno Barry in the summer, the initial £8m bid for a third-choice forward who did not score a senior goal for Everton proved too good to turn down.
The hope was Chermiti’s career with the Blues would be completely different when then director of football Kevin Thelwell - who then took the player to Rangers - signed him for Everton from Sporting.
Micchiche explained: “The key with Youssef is to play to his strengths.
“If you look at a big lad like Peter Crouch when he played - even though he was tall, his strength wasn’t necessarily in the air.
“Youssef is the same. He’s good with the ball at his feet and can get on to things in behind.
You can easily make him look like a bad player if you ask him to do things he’s not capable of. But the Rangers manager is clearly now getting the best out of him.”
“The plan at Everton was for Youssef to be the club’s number one striker, their first choice. There was a clear plan in place and it might have happened if Kevin was still there. The strategy obviously went in a different direction.”
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