Gary Lineker and Micah Richards ridicule Doucoure over Everton comments
Abdoulaye Doucoure was the hero for Everton in their shock 1-0 victory away at Nottingham Forest as he scored a last-minute winner.
Everton battled well at the City Ground, but the game appeared to be heading towards a draw before Doucoure finished superbly after a counter-attack in injury time.
Doucoure celebrated his goal with a celebration hinting that he wants a new contract, before admitting after the game that he would love to stay at Everton beyond the rest of this season.
The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, but he has now been mocked by Gary Lineker and Micah Richards for the manner in which he has asked for a new deal.
Lineker and Richards mock Doucoure over contract dilemma
Speaking on The Rest is Football Podcast, Richards and Lineker both saw the funny side of Doucoure’s pleas for a new deal.
“He obviously wants his new contract, he demanded it in his celebration which I quite enjoyed,” Lineker stated.
| Stat | Abdoulaye Doucoure |
| Appearances | 161 |
| Goals | 21 |
| Assists | 13 |
Richards added: “What I loved about the celebration, was that he acted all cocky after scoring the goal – ‘where’s the contract.’
“But as soon as someone put a camera in his face he was ‘please may I have a contract’ – where’s the cockiness gone!
“He should have come in and said ‘I’ve played really well this season, I know I’ve had my injuries but I am vital to this squad, I think it’s time. What more do I have to do to show you that I’m a vital part of this team?'”
Everton should resist temptation to hand Doucoure new contract
Although Doucoure’s character has made him something of a cult hero at Everton, with his passion in recent Merseyside derbies particularly notable, now is the right time for the club to move on from him.
Aside from his goal, Doucoure did not perform well at the City Ground, and as he ages, his importance to the team is now waning.
Everton could part ways with Doucoure now while he is still well-liked, and rebuild the midfield with some younger players.
Carlos Alcaraz and Iliman Ndiaye could play in Doucoure’s advanced midfield position, and offer more creativity than the veteran, and the temptation for David Moyes to keep the out-of-contract star must now be resisted.