Tom Cleverley has officially signed for Everton, on a free transfer from Manchester United - having enjoyed a successful loan spell at Aston Villa during the 2014/15 campaign.
In his first official interview and public unveiling as a Toffee, the 25-year-old has publicly expressed his excitement at working with Roberto Martinez - who was his boss in the 2010/11 season at Wigan Athletic. It may come as somewhat of a surprise, as the Englishman was expected to join the Villains, but Everton popped up swiftly and acted effectively in pursuit of his signature.
Scrutiny and harsh criticism in his way
Rewind just eighteen months, and many United fans were heavily critising Cleverley - who was often made a scapegoat for the team's failures under manager David Moyes. He lost confidence, was mistake-laden in midfield and was unable to impress when called upon for the Red Devils, who have high expectations for all of their players. Even one performance is treated with intense scrutiny, so you can imagine what a few months of inconsistent displays will result in. Also, a petition went viral calling for Cleverley not to be considered for international duty with England, as he was "not good enough" to represent the Three Lions in competitive fixtures.
The petition reached over 15,000 signatures, and Cleverley has struggled to hold down a firm first-team spot for England ever since. However, in the 2014/15 season, he has performed consistently well with a new lease of life - at a club where he was free to roam around in midfield, as opposed to being harshly critiqued for every mistake he made. You could tell it had a positive effect on his performances too, as he was playing with more confidence, being able to try new moves and tricks as well as the odd ambitious through ball, or long shot.
Developed with more confidence, and it's showing
Cleverley has penned a five-year contract, and hopes to contribute as Everton look to progress after an inconsistent term last season. He reiterated his excitement, looking forward to working with Martinez - as well as getting ready to fight for a top six place again.
As quoted by The Mirror, he said: "I think Roberto is a great manager and I'm massively looking forward to working with him again, we obviously had a year at Wigan together that I really enjoyed. He knows me and he knows how I like to play, so hopefully we can hit it off again come the start of the season."
Cleverley had more to add on setting targets and new horizons: "It's difficult to think about targets so soon, but it's a club that can definitely be fighting towards that top six and hopefully go on a good cup run, which was something I was lucky enough to experience last year.
"I've always said it's one of the hardest places to come as an away player because it creates one of the best atmospheres, especially when the team is on top. I've always enjoyed playing there [at Goodison Park]. It's one of those really exciting grounds and I'm genuinely excited to be here."