Burnley, United Kingdom: When Roberto Martinez met Samuel Eto’o one Sunday in late August for a coffee, there was only one question he wanted answering.
Did he have the hunger to play on a cold afternoon in the North West, when the going was tough and the environment was unforgiving? Everton’s manager never had a concern about Eto’o’s quality, but he needed to see if the desire was still there.
Eto’o has never given Martinez a moment to think he made a wrong move, but his decision was vindicated once again on Sunday at blustery Turf Moor, as his two goals inspired Everton to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Burnley.
As Eto’o left the pitch with the acclaim of 4,000 travelling Evertonians ringing in his ears, a number of Martinez’s managerial peers — not least Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers — may well have been regretting that they allowed the chance to sign him slip away. He may be 33 but he still has much to offer.
“I like Samuel when he is in that type of form,” said Martinez, who saw Romelu Lukaku atone for the mistake that gifted Burnley a goal by scoring Everton’s second.
“He can play anywhere. He brings real know-how and experience. Sometimes you want to develop young players. But he can give them a lot of aspects technically, tactically and physically. There’s few people who can teach things like Samuel due to his experience. Everyone will speak about the goals but I was so pleased with the performance he had, his role off the ball and the way he worked hard for the team.
“He has set real standards and I’m really pleased. He has played two games in a week, but his performance was a real example. What an incredible professional to have in a dressing room full of young players.”
That point is key. Some will carp and say Eto’o has thrived against a side who are heading back to the Championship, but that overlooks the fact that he arrived on Merseyside as one of a select group who have won the Champions League at two different clubs.
The moment he walked into Goodison Park, Eto’o — once of Barcelona and Inter Milan — had the respect of his new teammates and he was a calming influence here, always making the right decision and using the ball sensibly. He set a tone that was the catalyst for a clinical performance.
“It was a very challenging day against a fine team,” said Sean Dyche, whose Burnley side are still winless. “Eto’o has been a fine player and still is. Everton had high-quality players doing what high-quality players do. We all wanted Premier League football but nobody said it’d be an easy ride.”
