Former Everton midfielder Allan has spoken of his fondness for the club, his love for the fans and his regrets that he wasn’t able to finish his career at Goodison Park.
The Brazilian arrived along with James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucouré as part of Carlo Ancelotti’s overhaul of the Blues’ midfield in the summer of 2020 but was denied the chance to play before a full house at Goodison for a full season by the COVID-19 pandemic and saw the team fall short of European qualification in his first year on Merseyside.
He played his part where he could in helping Everton avoid relegation the following year before the financial realities at the club meant that he was sold to Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 but, as he explained in the club programme recently, he will always treasure his time as a Toffee.
“[P]laying for Everton was a privilege,” he said. “Everton is a different club from anything I have experienced. When I arrived, the people were very, very welcoming and, honestly, I immediately felt at home. Also the fans and Goodison Park, they are so, so amazing.
“The way the Evertonians react to actions on the pitch, the way they fight with the team on the pitch was and is incredible.
“My frustration when I look back is not being able to enjoy that love the Evertonians show for the club for a longer period of time. That is so frustrating, honestly. My goal was always to spend three, four or five of my best years at Everton because I loved the atmosphere that exists at the club, but we fell into a bad moment and it meant that wasn’t possible. This is football. A lot of things can change in a short space of time and I had to move on.
“[My] second season was more difficult. For me, personally, I had a lot of injuries and as a team we had to fight against relegation. Of course, this was not what I wanted but this is football, no?
“The most difficult injury for me was when I started to feel pain in my adductor. It made it very difficult to be myself. It was difficult to train because every time I would feel a lot of pain and at that moment we took the decision, along with the manager Frank Lampard, to stop playing and to get it sorted.
“I was desperate to play and to help but the problem was affecting what I could do physically. Sometimes you have to get through tough times. Thankfully, we did enough to stay up and even though I have left the Club now, I remain an Evertonian.
“I still follow every game and I am always wishing the best for the team and for the Club. I still have a lot of friends at Everton and hopefully there are much, much better times ahead now with the manager, Sean Dyche, who is doing a very good job.”