Former Everton forward Kevin Mirallas has once again claimed that the club stopped him joining Tottenham earlier in his career.
Mirallas spent seven years at Goodison Park, making 186 appearances for the Blues before departing for Antwerp this summer as their rebuild continues.
His time on Merseyside was something of a mixed bag, with the Belgian failing to show the level of consistency that is required to be a top Premier League player.
There were some good years, though, particularly the 2013/14 season in which he bagged eight goals in all competitions and went to that summer’s World Cup with Belgium.
It was that form which attracted interest in the Everton forward from Tottenham, with Mirallas previously claiming they were interested in him.
He’s now doubled down on those claims, adding that he would have liked to make a move but Everton and then manager Roberto Martínez refused to sanction a transfer.
“I don’t really regret certain choices, just like everyone else, I grabbed a nice transfer,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“After the World Cup in Brazil, Tottenham and Atlético Madrid showed interest. I wanted to jump on one of those trains, but (Roberto) Martínez – then still trainer of Everton – didn’t want to let me go.
“I understood, but it was a tough pill to swallow. The following months I had a hard time.”
