Everton fans often keep tabs on many of their former players to see how they’re getting on after their career on Merseyside.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a hot topic among Everton supporters as he’s been flourishing at Leeds United this season.
Leeds fans have been blown away by Calvert-Lewin’s turn in form after netting eight Premier League goals in his last nine games.
Toffees fans have also continued to look out for Richarlison since his departure for Tottenham Hotspur in 2022.
Richarlison still has a great relationship with Everton and often posts about his former club on social media.
Another popular former player is now in the headlines as he looks to make a sensational return from an injury that’s kept him out for almost three years.
Former Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu looking to return to football
Gerard Deulofeu made 75 appearances for Everton across two spells at the club, netting eight goals whilst laying on 17 assists.
Deulofeu then had spells at AC Milan, Barcelona, Watford and finally Udinese, which was his last club before he suffered a devastating injury.
The 31-year-old hasn’t been able to play football since January 2023, as he’s been dealing with a long-term knee injury that began with an ACL tear.
Deulofeu suffered a post-surgery infection that destroyed his cartilage and led to his bone grinding on bone.
It looked as though his playing career was finished, but the Spaniard has announced that he’s hoping to return to the pitch this year.
“Every morning I’m at the stadium. I will try to make my comeback in 2026 and we’ll see how it goes. I work every day to get back on the pitch, and if I manage to do it, I can help Udinese. I miss the field a lot.
“Friuli makes me feel at peace. I feel good here, and I could help Udinese even beyond being a player. Friuli allows me to be close to nature and to see my partner and my children happy.
“The most important thing is that I am where I want to be. When you feel like that, you don’t need anything else.”
Gerard Deulofeu admits his return from injury could be the ‘most difficult’ in football history
Speaking to the Guardian in October, Deulofeu admitted that his return to the pitch will require ‘something special’.
“I know I’m trying something special,” the former Toffees winger explained.
“Maybe it’s the most difficult recovery in history. If I manage to come back it’ll be more than 1,000 days. But I’m a guy who takes care of himself and I think I can do it. If there’s one guy to do it, it’s me.”
Deulofeu added: “It’s not like a usual injury. As an old person it can happen that your knee is completely destroyed and now it happened to me because the infection was getting worse and worse.
“I knew from those early months that I couldn’t be back quickly. In every MRI I had, the cartilage had deteriorated. I lost my muscle, my knee wouldn’t flex properly, there was a lot to recover and it was very slow.”
Deulofeu has undergone Cell treatment on his knee, which he hopes will aid him in making a successful return to action.
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