Everton player says international duty provided sanctuary during ‘difficult’ club times

 

Gerard Deulofeu is now Spain’s highest appearance maker at U21 level and he’s not stopped. The Everton player is likely to pick up a good few more caps as he hopes to lead Spain to glory at next year’s U21 Championship.

Despite being 22 years of age, and he’ll be 23 by the time of the tournament, Everton’s Deulofeu player is allowed to take part because he was 21 at the start of the qualifying games. In one way it’s obviously an achievement for Deulofeu, but it also shows he’s so far failed to make the step up to Spain’s senior set-up.

The youngster’s career has been stuttered at times, and, speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Deulofeu was asked if the U21 set-up has provided sanctuary for him when things haven’t been going well at clubs.

The Everton played agreed, telling Marca: “The day to day is my club, but the two sides are important. In difficult times, to come to the selection is happiness, joy.”

The most difficult times for Deulofeu were probably at Sevilla, his loan move turning into something of a disaster. An unused substitute in Everton’s last two matches, Deulofeu will hope he’s set for something better under Ronald Koeman.