Royston Drenthe is a strange case. Bags of talent, plenty of personality but very little application. He’s had great support from Everton boss David Moyes throughout his loan move from Real Madrid, but he has failed to take the opportunity to prove himself in the Premier League. 4 Premier League goals in 21 games isn’t a fantastic return and though he has contributed 7 assists, his attitude has sometimes been a little remiss.
Now the most recent reports emanating from Goodison Park suggest that he has no chance of securing a permanent move with the Toffees when his loan deal comes to an end in the summer. The Mail (and a bunch of other sources) claim that Drenthe was sent home last week after failing to report in on time for a vital training session at Everton’s Finch Farm training base. It wasn’t Drenthe’s first infringement of this kind and it now appears that his tardiness will have cost him any chance of a new contract.
He was omitted from Everton’s squad for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool and it’s unclear whether he’ll be shunned for the rest of the season or not.
Given this news I was a little surprised to hear the Sun on Sunday report that Drenthe was ready to make a move across the City to join Liverpool. Yes – he’ll be available for cheap this summer because his Real Madrid contract is up, but he’ll no doubt be expecting big wages and if his head isn’t properly screwed on he’ll make for a bad investment.
Just take a look at his laundry list of infringements: whilst at Real Madrid he hit into a Police car, got caught speeding at 160km/h (but was let off because he said he was rushing to the hospital) and he went on strike whilst on loan at Hercules because they couldn’t afford to pay him his wages. Whilst he’s probably in the right in this last case, it’s a little off-putting that he’s so quick to jump to an extreme reaction.
At 23-years-old, he’s still adjusting to his life as a famous footballer. He’s a hit with the ladies and clearly isn’t one of those holier-than-thou, pure-as-sin Arsene Wenger footballers. When asked in an interview: “How often do you have sex?” he responded “With my wife, you mean?” Quite the character…
Suffice to say, signing Drenthe, even on a free is a bit of a gamble. He’s a talented footballer, but his lack of application on the training pitch and his persona off it make him a difficult horse to back. For me, this is one that Liverpool should stay way clear of.
What’s your take? Would Drenthe be a hit at Liverpool or is the risk too big?
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Why are you even reading anything that comes from the sun??
nooooooooooo!!!!!!