Barry Horne: Samuel Eto'o the perfect signing for Everton FCOPINION BY BARRY HORNE
Horne on Samuel Eto'o, Leon Osman and divingSamuel Eto'o of Everton waves to fans as he leaves the pitch after the game
I remember writing in this column about how many Evertonians were viewing Samuel Eto’o ’s signing in the summer.
For many, he didn’t fit the bill as an Everton player in terms of his age and of the history of the club in wanting to develop young players.
He hasn’t had much game time but he has been proving his value both on and off the pitch.
Eto’o has been a very, very successful player and is a wealthy man and many wondered, to put it bluntly, if he had come for one last payday.
But I was always of the mindset that we had to let Eto’o have the chance to prove us wrong.
And so his performances of late, capped off with that man-of-the-match display at Burnley, came as little surprise to me.
The signs were there, of course.
Roberto Martinez will always do his homework on a player and, if reports are to be believed, Eto’o rejected the chance of higher wages in order to play for Everton.
These were telling indicators for me.
He has quickly dispelled any doubts about this remaining ability or passion for the game.
But it is off the pitch as well, we hear, that he has been making an impact at Everton.
Eto’o is a three-time winner of the European Cup, an African Player of the Year and a World Player of the Year contender, so what would he have left to prove?
I could understand those who were sceptical and those wondering about his desire.
He did not appear an atypical Everton player.
But his qualities have certainly come to the fore.
Well done Roberto Martinez . Well done Samuel Eto’o. And long may it continue.
My admiration for OssieAnyone who reads this column will be well aware of my long-standing admiration for Leon Osman.
The way he went on loan to Derby, came back and worked hard to establish himself as a first-team regular at Everton is something that always impressed me about him.
He did it the hard way.
And whenever he was played out of position he never moaned or made a scene.
Osman got his head and got on with the job at hand - he is a model professional.
And because of this, some people have voiced their shock at Leon’s book this week in which he has candidly provided into an insight into his 11 years at Goodison.
They were taken aback by tales of his honesty at being dropped at key moments in his Blues career and the bitter disappointment he felt.
But these passages just make my admiration for Osman grow stronger.
He has the right attitude in football. He wants to play and he will never be happy with sitting on the bench.
Too many players these days are content with collecting their wages and playing only a handful of times a season.
Not Ossie.
And because of this, because the desire still burns strong in Osman and because his love for the club remains as fierce as ever, I hope the club can continue to find a place for him.
Monk's outburst had an impact on MosesI was asked this week if I had any concerns about Garry Monk’s recent outburst at officials affecting today’s game with Everton.
People were worried that Monk, who has strongly highlighted some poor decisions in recent weeks, would influence the official at Goodison this afternoon.
Whatever a manager may say, I don’t believe a referee will influenced by that.
But what Monk’s comments have highlighted is that a manager’s words can impact on a player.
Monk spoke out about Victor Moses’ act of deception against his side the other week as he cut into the box.
I was at Stoke’s following game and despite coming under some firm challenges, Moses, this time, stayed on his feet.
Echo
