Former Everton winger Andy van der Meyde has again insisted it was only injuries that ruined his time at the club, refuting claims that he took drugs during his playing career.
The Dutchman has been speaking to Soccer News regarding his career, which came to an end in 2011 after spells with Inter Milan, Ajax and Everton to name just three.
It was at Goodison Park where he arguably earned notoriety after joining on the final day of the transfer window in a €2m deal from Inter Milan in 2005.
He was expected to be a key player for the Toffees after impressing at Ajax and for the Netherlands but instead only managed 24 appearances for the club in a spell that was marred by injuries, personal problems and disciplinary issues.
He eventually left when his contract expired in 2009 and tried to revive his career back in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven but was unsuccessful, eventually retiring at the age of 31.
He’s since spoken regularly about his time at Everton and what went wrong, expressing regret for previous comments and a falling out with then manager David Moyes.
He’s now commented on his time at Goodison Park once again, insisting that it would have been better had it not been for an initial injury.
“No, it wasn’t for the money. I was at Inter and I wanted to play in the World Cup,” he said when asked why he made the move.
“They told me I had to play, or I wouldn’t make it. So, I wanted to play in the World Cup with the Dutch national team. So, I said I wanted to leave. And then Everton came. I played there in the beginning.
“Moyes really wanted me. So, I went there, and I played my first six games. played well, I had three assists in six games in the Premier League. And then I tore a muscle in my upper leg, because I was just going to play.
“And then it actually went wrong with me. I had an injury that I couldn’t do anything about. I had to rest, massage every day. I wasn’t allowed to run; I wasn’t allowed to do anything. Then I got bored.
“I was lying on the couch every day, doing this and that, massaging. And then we thought, you know, I’m going to take a step, do something else. And then it actually went wrong with me, because of that injury.”
