Cuco Martina plied his trade at Everton between 2017 and 2020.
Everton signed Martina on a free transfer after his contract with Southampton expired during the summer of 2017.
Manager at the time, Ronald Koeman, had previously worked with the defender at St Mary’s, so he knew the Curacao international well.
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That said, Martina has now come out in an interview and revealed an interesting story about Koeman from his time at Finch Farm.
Cuco Martina was told not to drive a flash car at Everton
Martina, speaking to Voetbal International, explained that Koeman instructed him not to drive a fancy car when he was at Everton.
The Dutch manager felt it wasn’t appropriate whilst he was still settling in on Merseyside, as he had a lot to prove.
“Lots of players there drove Bentleys, Ferraris and Range Rovers,” Martina explained.
“Koeman told Jordy Clasie and me that, as new signings, we’d be better off driving a normal car.
“He thought it was better not to act all flashy at the start. That way, he wanted to prevent people from saying: ‘That Cuco plays badly, but he earns enough to drive a Ferrari.’”
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Martina also went on to note that his contracts at Southampton and Everton made him financially secure, which he thanks Koeman for.
“Let’s be honest, Koeman has made me financially independent,” the 36-year-old stated.
“He has given me everything I could ever dream of. My mum no longer has to work, thanks to the opportunities he has given me.
“I really see him as a father figure, especially because of the way he often protected me.”
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