Seemingly far from Marco Silva’s plans with the acquisition of Richarlison, Kevin Mirallas knew he’d have to, once again, find himself a temporary solution to get regular game time.
Eventually landing at Fiorentina on loan (with a compulsory option to buy), the Everton forward has given an interview to DH in Belgium over the weekend about his choice, which came after a period of time when he thought he could stick around at Goodison Park.
He said: “When my loan ended at Olympiakos, I had long holidays that helped me loads. A real break. During that time, Everton asked me to be back for preseason. The manager wanted to see me. I did well for a month, then we had a talk in July.
“He told me: ‘I don’t know what my team will look like yet, and I can’t guarantee a starting spot’. I told him that, at my age, I’ll try and find something else if a good opportunity came up. That’s when Fiorentina showed up. Everything was sorted quickly, and I signed for four years (once the Serie A side trigger the option to buy).”
Explaining he turned down other opportunities, mostly from the Middle-East and China, to remain in a competitive league, Mirallas is thrilled with his choice.
Having always done well for himself financially throughout his career, the soon-to-be former Everton forward prioritised his family’s happiness over some extra money.
Giving himself three months to speak Italian fluently, Mirallas has settled in nicely with his new club, where he could quickly end up being the oldest player in the dressing room if Cyril Théréau gets a move away.
A new chapter starting after a rollercoaster of a six-year spell as a Toffee.
