Player reveals failed move to Everton earlier in his career – Multiple visits a year unsuccessful

Atlético Ottawa defender Kris Twardek has revealed he had the chance to sign for Everton earlier in his career but failed to convince the Toffees.

The defender has been speaking to DNES’ Prague edition about his career so far and how he may have ended up at Everton if things had gone differently.

Twardek currently plays for Ottawa in Canada joining them from Bohemians in January this year on a free transfer.

It’s the latest move in what has already been a varied career for the 27-year-old, who started his career with Millwall’s U18s in England in 2015.

From there he worked his way up the youth ranks and into the first team before moving to Sligo Rovers on a free transfer in 2018.

A year later he moved to Bohemians before, another year later, he was on his way to Poland to join Jagiellonia. A switch to the Czech Republic came after that before he returned to Bohemians in 2022.

Now he’s in Canada but will be watching with interest in the near future as Sparta Prague take on Shamrock Rovers in the early qualifying stages of the Champions League.

That’s a ground he knows well, leading DNES to speak to him about the Irish club, and his career in general, during which the failed spell at Everton was brought up.

“From about twelve to fourteen, I went there (Everton) a few times a year for tests,” he said.

“But it didn’t work out in the end. I signed my first professional contract at the age of fifteen with Millwall, I played for the reserves, sometimes trained with the A team. It was difficult to break into the first team.

“For two years I believed: Yes, now it is my day. But mostly I just stayed on the bench and travelled from England to the Czech Republic for rep meetings. For three years I was a part of the workshop.”