Abdoulaye Doucoure expressed his love for the club following Everton’s stunning 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest courtesy of his 94th-minute strike at City Ground on Saturday.
Doucoure finished off a ruthless counter-attack with efficiency to secure victory for the Blues for the first time since February after a dogged performance against the Champions League-chasing side.
“I love this club. Since the moment I signed, always I want to stay. My contract is running out so let’s see what happens in the next couple of weeks but I love this club,” Doucoure told BBC Match of the Day after the match.
“I think we can’t have better than that, when you play a football game, to score a last-minute goal. It was a terrific moment for the team.”
Doucoure’s contract runs out this summer and reports suggest that the club are yet to offer him a new deal. The Everton hierarchy, led by new owners The Friedkin Group, is waiting till safety is mathematically confirmed to begin talks over renewals.
As many as 15 players, including those on loan, will be out of contract this summer as the Toffees – now 17 points clear of the drop zone – are almost assured to continue in the Premier League next season.
Having sent the travelling supporters into pandemonium with his late strike, Doucoure made a gesture of putting pen to paper while celebrating his goal. When asked about it after the game, he said, “I can’t talk too much about that but it is maybe my last moments at the club and at the moment it is very quiet on the club side. I love this club.”
David Moyes’ side dominated proceedings at City Ground and handed Nottingham Forest their first defeat on home soil since November last year.