Samuel Eto’o – The goalscorer

Everton’s new signing of Samuel Eto’o, the right-footed striker who has had an illustrious career with big clubs all around the world. He has been described as ‘extraordinary’ and ‘a crowd pleaser’ and Everton fans will be hoping the man from Cameroon can repeat his goal scoring feats from past clubs.

Eto’o was born on the 10th of March 1981, making him 33. He is 5ft10in (1.79m). Samuel has the record of most appearances in La Liga by an African player, he has been crowned African Player of the Year four times as well as Bronze World Player of the Year in 2005.

The striker has won the treble with Inter Milan and Barcelona, has played in three World Cups and has scored in two Champions League finals.

Eto’o started his career at the Real Madrid youth academy where he trained with the B team. While there, he was loaned out to CD Leganes for the 1997-1998 season where he played 30 times and scored four goals. Upon his return to Madrid he was loaned out again, this time to Espanyol where he didn’t play once.

The following season saw Eto’o loaned out for a third period, this time to Mallorca. He scored 6 goals in 19 appearances and signed permanently for the club for 4.4 million pounds at the end of that season. He scored 11 goals next season including a brace in the Copa del Rey final, which Mallorca won 3-0. During his time at Los Bermellones he netted 69 goals 165 appearances.

In the summer of 2004, Barcelona bought Eto’o for £24million. He finished as top scorer in La Liga in the 2005-2006 season. Eto’o also scored six goals in Barca’s 2006 Champions League winning campaign. He netted and produced a man of the match performance in the final against Arsenal, and was named best forward of the year after the final.

While at the Catalan club, Eto’o scored 129 goals and got 35 assists in 201 appearances as well as winning La Liga three times, the Copa Del Rey, the Supercopa de Espana and the Champions League twice.

On the 27th July 2009 Samuel joined Inter Milan with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and 46 million going the other way to Barcelona. During his time there he played 101 times, scoring 53 times and assisting 22 goals. He lifted the Serie A trophy, the Coppa Italia twice, the Supercoppa Italiana, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup while in Italy. He won the golden boot in the latter competition.

His next club was Anzhi who he joined in August 2011. He became the world’s highest paid player and netted 36 goals in 71 games as well as notching 14 assists.

Jose Mourinho brought Eto’o to Chelsea on the 29th of August last year for an undisclosed fee. The Cameroonian signed on a one-year-contract and during that time scored 12 goals and grabbed 6 assists in 36 appearances.

Eto’o had a distinguished international career for Cameroon. He won his first cap at the age of 15 in a 5-0 friendly defeat to Costa Rica. He played at the 1998 World Cup against Italy and scored in the 2002 tournament. He has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice and top scored at the same competition twice as well. Eto’o also has an Olympic Gold medal to his name.

The clinical forward announced his retirement from international duty on Wednesday and played a grand total of 118 times for his country, scoring 56 goals.

Samuel has previously been named in the FifProXI twice and he has been in the UEFA team of the year two times as well. Altogether in his career he has played 608 games for his clubs and has scored 303 goals and contributed assists to 77 more.

Eto’o brings a ruthless nature in front of goal and another body up top which is just what the Toffees needed. His experience in Europe will be another positive factor for the club as we prepare to embark on a European campaign. He is excited about working under Roberto Martinez and still has a massive will to win. He should prove an excellent addition over the next two years.