Muhamed Besic turns 32 today, marking a significant birthday for any professional footballer. Although his time at Everton is now a memory, the midfielder fondly remembers his days at Goodison Park. Besic was somewhat of an enigma as a Roberto Martinez enforcer.
Martinez, known for his firm beliefs on how football should be played, was not typically inclined towards the more aggressive aspects of the game. He once criticized teams that played a defensive, “destructive” style, preferring a more fluid approach.
During the 2014 World Cup, when James Rodriguez won the Golden Boot, Martinez, who had just been awarded a five-year contract by Everton’s Bill Kenwright, watched Besic play for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Impressed by Besic’s performance against Lionel Messi in the group stage, Martinez saw the value in having a player with such defensive prowess.
Besic later remarked that he enjoyed facing top players like Messi and Gareth Bale, believing that if he was fit, they couldn’t get past him. Martinez, recognizing the need for a balance between grit and grace, decided to sign Besic from Ferencvaros for £4 million. Besic made 31 appearances in his first season but struggled with injuries afterward, appearing only 17 times the following year.
A torn ACL in August 2016, shortly after Ronald Koeman took over, sidelined Besic for the rest of the season. Although he remained an Everton player until last summer, his final appearance came in a Europa League match against Apollon Limassol in December 2017. During his time at Everton, he had two loan spells at Middlesbrough and one at Sheffield United, and even a brief return to the first team under Carlo Ancelotti did not yield any playing time.
Despite the challenges, Besic cherishes his time at Everton, especially highlighting his performance in the 2-1 League Cup semi-final win over Manchester City in 2016. He recalls the support of the fans during that period, especially when they reacted positively to his performances, such as during a match against West Brom where they booed the coach for substituting him. Besic fondly remembers these connections and still misses playing at Goodison Park.
