Former Everton forward Kevin Mirallas has revealed he once had the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur, only for Roberto Martínez to scupper the move.
Mirallas spent seven years at Goodison Park after arriving in 2012, departing for Antwerp on a free transfer during this summer transfer window.
His time on Merseyside can be best described as mixed, with Mirallas enjoying a strong start to life in the North West but tailing off drastically in his final few seasons with the club.
The Belgian’s first three years were his best in terms of goalscoring, with his form earning him international recognition with Belgium.
The 2013-14 season saw him hit eight goals in all competitions and travel to the 2014 World Cup with the Red Devils, and he carried his form into the next campaign, ending that year with 11 goals in all competitions.
That form earned him plenty of attention from elsewhere, particularly Tottenham, and Mirallas says the opportunity was there to leave, but manager Martínez stopped it from happening
“I’m sure that if I perform well with Antwerp, I’ll be called back to the Devils,” he told RTBF in Belgium.
“Everything is now sortied out, and has been for a long time, with Roberto Martínez. After the 2014 World Cup, we had some a few issues with Everton.
“I was coming off the back of my best season in England and had the opportunity to sign at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, but it was mid-season.
“The January transfer window is always difficult, and Martínez did not want to let me go, that’s where I missed the boat.
“I still feel that I have not made the most of my career, and for the rest, I’m happy with my decisions, except perhaps at Saint-Etienne, where I went there a little too quickly at 20 years of age. These are mistakes that make you mature.”
