Tarashaj makes Euros bow as Swiss draw

Back then it seems there were two methods.

1) A grizzled old bloke chief-scout (flat cap, oily mac, notepad, nicotine up to his elbows etc) spots local lad Jimmy McSomething playing for local Sunday league side (Red Star Belle-Vale?) and recommends him to a club. The club give the lad's dad a new pigeon coop, his mam a pound of lard and..deal done.

2) Barrington Cheeseman, Suet magnate and Chairman of top side Fulchester FC wants success and will pay to get it. Result? An envelope full of white fivers changes hands and 19 year-old scoring sensation Bert 'The Rickets Kid' Braithwaite leaves Dimpton Wednesday for Fulchester.

But regarding Tarashaj (and Everton), surely one thing would remain the same. That it would feel dead odd (not in a good way) if the people who 'fancied' you and instigated the purchase of your services weren't at the club when you got there.

That would have to take the edge off the move (for him) I imagine.

One minute you're heading to a club that scouted you, wanted you, negotiated with your agent and came to a satisfactory agreement. Next minute you're arriving at a club where the manager could be saying "Who?...How do you pronounce that?"

Wonder if there's any cancellation clause available for clubs/players in these circumstances.

On the other hand, a player joins a premiership club because he wants to come to England. Then he starts watching his new manager's post match interviews...

Suddenly he hears about the departure of Softollies. He goes out and has a few scoops and tells his mates: "Than God for that. Dodged a bullet there. Having watched me in training, he would have asked me to play in goal on my debut, 'in order that I could better read the game.'"

Or maybe not...