After four years at Everton without playing a single game for the first-team, David Henen decided enough was enough over the summer and to try his luck elsewhere.
A long summer of going through offers and visiting clubs all around Europe led him back to Belgium with RSC Charleroi, where he’s made seven appearances so far this season, as well as scored one goal in a 2-1 loss to KV Oostende.
The 22-year-old, who spent a season at Fleetwood in 2015-16, came close to the first-team under Roberto Martinez, and then again under Ronald Koeman, but the arrival of Sam Allardyce really scuppered everything for him.
He explained to Sport/Foot: “I lost my dreams then. His results weren’t bad because Everton ended eighth under him, but he was kick and rush and didn’t want to hear about the youngsters. A career can take off quickly in England, and I held onto that for a long time.”
Then came the tricky situation of a contract renewal, as the club wanted Henen to stick around, but the young forward was having second thoughts.
He said: “We were talking for months, but when you haven’t had a chance in four years, it’s best to leave. I’d already lost enough time. Those in charge knew I shouldn’t be in the reserves, but they asked me to be patient. I was just a number to them.
“Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Rooney, Cenk Tosun, Theo Walcott, Richarlison, Kevin Mirallas, Romelu Lukaku were worth something in their eyes. At Charleroi, everyone, the president, the manager and my teammates made me feel vital to the team.”
Perhaps maturing ‘too quickly’, as he puts it, Henen now appears happy with his decision, back in his home country and happy to a part of a first-team that plays him far more than Everton ever did.
As for what the future holds, well that’s up to him.
