Beto is drawing on the criticism of his doubters for inspiration as the Everton striker looks to make an impact this season. The forward said he has always paid attention to people who have questioned him, even taking screengrabs of negative social media posts in order to use those posts as fuel to drive his progress.
The 26-year-old was disappointed with his debut season in the Premier League – despite standout moments that included his stunning first league goal in the rout of Newcastle United and Blues supporters serenading him with his ‘Ole’ chant. As he prepares for the upcoming campaign he is determined to repay the support of Everton fans and prove he has what it takes to make it at Goodison Park.
Beto signed from Udinese last summer in a deal worth in the region of £26m. The move followed interest from Everton the previous January and was an emotional one for a player who had picked up an interest in the Blues when they were led by Roberto Martinez. He had an immediate impact – scoring on his debut to spare the club’s blushes as he came on at half-time to spark a comeback at Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup. Days later he made his Premier League debut and created a goal for Arnaut Danjuma in the draw at Sheffield United. His progress was stunted by events at Brentford, however. Although he played well in the first half of Everton’s first league win of the season, he was replaced by a newly-fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin – whose second half strike marked his return to prominence and gave him the upper hand in the battle to lead the forward line.
