Muhamed Besic has now opened up about the challenges he faced during his time at Everton.
Everton signed Muhamed Besic from Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros in the summer of 2014.
The Bosnian midfielder went on to spend seven seasons on the books at Goodison Park. However, the latter three terms were all spent away from the Merseyside club on loan.
Things started well at Everton for Besic. He quickly established himself as a key player, making 31 appearances in all competitions over the course of his maiden campaign in English football.
From his position at the base of the midfield unit, Besic impressed with his tenacity, ball-winning abilities, and passing range.
However, things soon became much more difficult for the 47-cap Bosnia and Herzegovina international as injury issues began to strike.
The most severe setback Besic suffered in his Everton career was an ACL injury sustained in August 2016. However, that was just one amongst a litany of injuries which restricted him to just 56 outings over the course of four seasons at Goodison Park.
Besic was able to get his career back on track during loan stints with Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, and is now plying his trade back at Ferencvaros. He still thinks often about his time on Merseyside, though.
Besic looks back on Everton woes
Speaking to the official Everton website, Besic recently said, “it felt like the injuries always came at the worst possible times as well…Every time it felt like I had my peak time, something would happen… We qualified for Europe, then I did my ACL in Rooney’s testimonial.”
“It’s really difficult to keep coming back and in the Premier League nobody is waiting for you. If you miss one or two games, there are good players everywhere who will come and take your place.”
“I have no regrets, though. There was no stopping the injuries I had but I can’t help but think if I didn’t have them, I think I could have stayed at the Club for a long time. That was always my dream – to stay at Everton for a long time.”
“They could have easily just kicked me out but they never did, they always supported me and I will always be thankful for that. In my most difficult times, Everton were always there for me.”
Everton fans will be heartened to hear how compassionately Besic was treated during this traumatic period of his career. The midfielder’s story tells us a lot about the values held by the club.
It is hard not to imagine, had injuries not ravaged his career, that Besic would have become a real star at Everton. At his best, when fully fit, he was an excellent midfield operator who always worked extremely hard on behalf of his team. He is the kind of player who would have thrived under Sean Dyche.
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