Everton FC v Young Boys: Ex Goodison star Anders Limpar says Blues should have too much for SwissFormer Goodison ace on this week's Europa clash in Berne
Joe Royle once described him as “a genius” and the most talented player he ever worked with.
He was speaking glowingly about former Blues favourite Anders Limpar - the only player to turn out for both Everton and Young Boys, who met next week in Switzerland in the Europa League.
Limpar, who turns 50 this year, still keeps a keen eye on events at Goodison Park.
He still considers himself an Evertonian and while, like all fans, he is frustrated by their recent struggles, he urges fellow Blues to keep the faith.
Signed by Mike Walker on transfer deadline day in March 1994 from Arsenal, Limpar experienced both the highs and the lows of life at Goodison.
Mike Walker Everton FC Manager 1994
Two months after joining, the winger was involved in the dramatic 3-2 win over Wimbledon that helped the Blues avoid relegation by the skin of their teeth on the final day of the season – winning the penalty that sparked their comeback – while a year later he helped the team, now managed by Royle, to beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
Limpar said: “Everton have got the same squad and the same manager as last season so it’s hard to put your finger on why they have struggled.
“They’ve been unfortunate in a few games but I thought their performance in the Merseyside Derby against Liverpool was really good.
“With the talent they’ve got in the squad they shouldn’t be so low down in the table but overall things have not been going our way.
“It’s in these times that you’ve got to stay together and back up the team, not just when things are going well.
“I think Everton still play really good football, especially at home.
“Any team going to Goodison Park knows they’re going to be in for a hell of a game.”
Limpar: Ross Barkley is a frightening prospectNow back in Sweden on the coaching staff of fourth tier side Sollentuna, Limpar works with the young players in the club’s reserve team and he recognises that Everton have got an exciting talent on their hand in the shape of Ross Barkley.
He said: “Ross is a frightening prospect, he’s one of my favourites. Everything about him is special and his skills are unreal.
“I really like the way the team try to play under Roberto Martinez and Steven Naismith is a player who has really impressed me.
“I also reckon that Aaron Lennon could have a real impact between now and the rest of the season.”
LONDON, ENGLAND - Wednesday, February 11, 2015: Everton's Ross Barkley in action against Chelsea during the Premiership match at Stamford Bridge.
Although the Champions League obviously contains the cream of European football, now that the gargantuan Europa League has reached its knockout stages the competition mostly consists of big-name sides. Limpar believes that the draw between two of his former clubs is good news for the Blues.
The tournament still contains the likes of Sevilla, Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao from Spain, Italy’s Inter, Roma, Napoli, Fiorentina and Torino, Dutch football’s big three Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV plus the likes Zenit St Petersburg of Russia, Greece’s Olympiakos and Portuguese club Sporting who knocked Everton out last time they competed in 2009/10.
‘Blues should have too much for Young Boys’Limpar said: “Young Boys are a decent side but they’re not as good as Everton and I’d expect Martinez’s men to win over two legs as they should be too strong for them at Goodison.
“This is a massive game for Young Boys but they’ve got a few international players and a great stadium too. It should be a fantastic atmosphere.
“Back in the day it was a terrific experience for me going to play for Young Boys.
“The Swiss League was a decent step up the ladder for young lads like myself and helped me on my way before progressing to Cremonese in Italy and then England.”
Why Everton are so close to my heart....As a member of the 1995 FA Cup-winning side, Limpar remains part of the last Everton team to win a major trophy but he reveals that his love for the Blues goes back much further.
He said: “I’d love to see Everton win another trophy, it’s amazing how time flies.
“We’ve been close on a few occasions, particularly when we went ahead in the FA Cup final but we need something to cheer.
“I came back to Merseyside a couple of years when Tony Cottee launched his book and given that it’s 20 years this May since the FA Cup final win it would be great to be invited back again by the club for another reunion.
“I’ve been a Toffee since I was 10 years old. Bob Latchford used to be my boyhood hero and I liked Imre Varadi too (ike Limpar he is of Hungarian ancestry, as is Tim Howard).
Limpar, who as a boy developed his love of Everton through watching Sweden’s version of Match of the Day, added: “It was nice to have won something with Everton because they’ve always been the club closest to my heart.”
By Chris Beesley / Echo
