“It was very good, it was spectacular” – Striker raves about Everton spell, disappointed it never worked out

For whatever reason, sometimes transfers don’t work out. A player heads to a club thinks it’s the right move and everything looks set to go well.

Then, they don’t. For whatever reason the player can’t find a foothold at his new club, struggles to make an impression and it just turns out a bit of a disaster for everyone involved.

While Joao Silva’s time at Everton wasn’t quite a catastrophe, it was not the roaring success he had probably envisioned it would be when he joined the club.

Silva headed to Goodison Park in 2010, joining the Blues Under 23 side from Deportivo Aves in a £600,000 deal.

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From there, though, things started to turn sour. Rather than testing him with their youth side, Everton elected to send the Portuguese youngster out on a series of loans until, two years after his arrival and with just ten appearances for Everton Under 21s, he was sold to Levski Sofia.

That was a frustrating end to the Premier League dream for the striker and one he admits still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“I was the second-best scorer in the II League and went to Everton in 2010 at the age of 19. It was very good, it was spectacular,” he told Desporto ao Minuto.

“I was young, and at that time there was Benfica, FC Porto, Vitória SC, PAOK. It was a leap, and I believe I made the right choice at that time.

“I have to admit that I have a bitter mouth because I believe the Premier League is perhaps the league that best fits my characteristics.

“But the truth is, David Moyes, who at the time was the coach, never gave me the opportunity I had been looking forward to.

“I’m sorry I never made my debut in that league, but I don’t regret going there. It was really good.”