Idrissa Gueye shares what he told his agent over Everton summer move
Idrissa Gueye has suggested that he could have said no to Everton and that he only wanted to move to Goodison Park when the opportunity arose.
Gueye has suggested that he had other options, but he told his agent to refuse them straightaway as he wanted to return to his old club instead.
Everton paid around £2m to re-sign their former player in the summer, as reported by BBC Sport.
“There were other opportunities, but I told my agent to refuse them straight away. It wasn’t in my plan to come back, but, as soon as Everton called me and said they needed me and wanted me to help… I cannot say no. It’s my home, that’s how I feel,” said Gueye, as quoted by Liverpool Echo.
“I can’t say no to Everton, regardless of whether they’re at the top of the league or bottom. It doesn’t matter for me because I care about this club. I’m up for this challenge and I want to help us move up the table.
“I want to bring my experiences from the past three years with me to the team.The reaction I’ve had from the Evertonians has made me very, very proud.
“They just confirmed to me — not that I had any doubts whatsoever — that I made the right decision to come back here. They’ve shown me that I’m part of this family. That’s the most important thing to me: the human beings, the people.”
Major impact
The 33-year-old has made a major impact for the Toffees since joining the club.
He has made eight appearances in the Premier League, and has forged a strong relationship with Amadou Onana at the heart of midfield.
Gueye may have lost his pace a bit, but his anticipation of the game is still fantastic. He still makes a lot of tackles and ensures a safety belt for the back line.
He is one of the main reasons why the Toffees have been able to maintain a tight shape at the back.
In fact, most of the summer signings have made an impact under Frank Lampard. The likes of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski have really made a huge impact in defence. while Dwight McNeil and James Garner have shown flashes of brilliance already.
There has been an improvement noted in the performance, although Lampard would have looked for more wins under the belt. The home form has been brilliant, but a huge improvement is needed away from Goodison Park.