Emotional Pienaar in limbo for now

Michael Kenrick , 14 May, 59comments | Jump to most recent

Midfielder handcuffed to the showers!

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has revealed that his team-mates handcuffed Tottenham loanee Steven Pienaar to the Goodison Park showers in a bid to convince the South African to stay.

The midfielder scored his fourth goal for the Toffees since returning to Merseyside to help them to a 3-1 win over Newcastle.

?They [the players] have handcuffed him [Pienaar] to the showers,? Howard said.

?He's not going back down to London. We tease Steven all the time. He has to stay at Everton.

?This is his home. He knows it, we know it.?

If his post-match interview is anything to go by, the 30-year-old would welcome a permanent move back to a club that clearly is in his heart.

Pienaar fought back tears as he was asked about his future and the prospect of staying on Merseyside.

"We'll have to see what will happen in the summer," the midfielder said.

There are conflicting rumours over whether or not a fee was agreed with Tottenham on transfer deadline day in January when Pienaar's loan was finalised. Some sources suggest a fee of £3.5m was agreed and if Everton can come up with it, then the player will return.

Other sources claim that no fee was agreed and that Everton will have to return to the negotiating table this summer.

For his part, David Moyes appears to want to keep the ex-Dortmund player judging by quotes attributed to him.

"We now have a potent goal-scoring striker in Nikica Jelavic, around whom the team will be built next season," he said.

"If anything, we need another inventive player in midfield to link up with Pienaar and provide the service Jelavic will require.

"Losing Steven, in the circumstances, would hardly fit in with our planning."

Quotes or other material sourced from London24.com

Pienaar's emotional post-match interview

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