As he packed his bags to head back to boyhood side Barcelona almost an year-and-a-half ago following the end of his loan spell, Gerard Deulofeu penned an open letter to the staff, fans and players at Everton — a club that helped cement his reputation from a talented wonder kid to a rising star.
And after one season out on a rather unsuccessful loan to Sevilla, the young winger announced his return to the blue side of Merseyside at the beginning of the season with a simple message on Twitter: ‘I’m back!’
Such is the bond the young Spaniard made with Everton. “From the first year I came here, the fans have been amazing. There is a lot of support for me on Instagram and Twitter and on the pitch,” said Deulofeu in an exclusive interview with this newspaper.
“On the pitch it’s incredible. When the supporters sing my song, it is incredible. Barcelona is a part of my life. I went there when I was nine years old! It was a good experience for me and I take a lot of confidence for my football but now I think in the present and I’m at Everton and I am so happy with the Toffees.”
And much has changed since his first stint with the club.
“My last experience at Everton two years ago was amazing. I didn’t play a lot of time because it was my first year, I was younger and needed more experience but the coach and the club gave me a lot of confidence and this summer my first thought was to come to Everton,” the winger said. “They have helped me become a different player, I understand my role and the role of my team mates.”
And that is just the football part of it.
“I’ve matured too and am physically stronger. Everton have put confidence in me and with confidence you are a different player,” he added.
While he has found success playing the role of a traditional winger, the highlight being his ability and tenacity to take on the full back, beat them with pace and whip in one delicious ball after another, the Riudarenes-born star feels there is more to his game.
“I think the way I play, it’s possible to play in a number ten or number nine role in the future. If you play in the middle you have more chances in the game and you participate more.”
Since the ill-fated departure of David Moyes to Manchester United three years ago, Roberto Martinez has taken Everton from a solid and no-nonsense team to a suave side who play entertaining football.
But more importantly, he has converted them into a team brimming with potential and boasting of a right mixture of youth and experience.
And Deulofeu believes that despite currently being 11th in the table there are bigger and better things ahead.
