Fan Comment

The Weird Case of Alex Nyarko

“When I retire, I would like to write a book. A chronicle of my life.”

A statement that may have been intended for the conclusion of Alex Nyarko's career but that retirement approached sooner than anticipated. Former Everton player, Olivier Dacourt, recommended a player to Everton manager Walter Smith, who supplied the plane ticket for this professional footballer. The Ghanaian brought with him a reputation that offered the impression that he would take the English Premier League by storm.

Alex Nyarko — “The New Patrick Vieira” — was heading to Merseyside but delivered more complications to Goodison Park that many Evertonians to this day cannot understand why it didn't quite work out. Nyarko had been chased by a number of managers in the English Premier League, including Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Liverpool's Gérard Houllier, with Houllier stating Everton had captured an “outstanding” midfielder.

Scotsman Walter Smith signed Alex Nyarko for £4.5 million in the summer of 2000 from Ligue 1 team RC Lens, alongside many other players Everton had managed to convince to come to the blue half of Merseyside in that period. Thomas Gravesen, Duncan Ferguson, Paul Gascoigne, Steve Watson and Niklas Alexandersson joined the Ghanaian off the back of a mediocre season for The Toffees, finishing 13th in the 1999-2000 English Premier League campaign. Walter Smith simply needed replacements throughout the Everton midfield with a number of players leaving Goodison Park that same summer.

John Collins left for the capital, moving to Fulham; Don Hutchison travelled to the Northeast, signing for Peter Reid's Sunderland; and the most shocking move was Nick Barmby making the short trip across Stanley Park to join Gérard Houllier's Liverpool. It cannot be denied that Everton as an organisation were going through a tough patch in the club's history.

They had survived multiple threats of relegation and many Evertonians had voiced their opinion on the recent running of the club. It appeared for the first time in a while that Everton had some type of direction, with Chairman Bill Kenwright buying 68% of the club from Peter Johnson in 1999 by creating the consortium ‘True Blue Holdings' in January 2000.

There was no denying that Alex Nyarko brought unique experience to the Everton team due to him previously playing in Switzerland, Germany and France. He earned the £4.5 million price tag and it was a very exciting time for Everton fans, with the prospect of him playing alongside fan favourite, Paul Gascoigne. Nevertheless, Everton started the season slowly, firstly losing 2-0 to Leeds United at Elland Road but managing a 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic the first home fixture in that Premier league season. However, Everton let a 2-0 lead slip at the hands of Jim Smith's Derby County. A wobbly start for ‘The Toffees'.

Thenceforth there was the dreaded trip down to the capital to a stadium where Everton had not won a single game throughout the nineties: White Hart Lane. Nyarko was playing alongside Paul Gascoigne, Thomas Gravesen and Stephen Hughes in midfield. The Ghanaian knew that he had to be at his best in this game when competing against the likes of Darren Anderton, Tim Sherwood and Oyvind Leonhardsen.

The game was approaching half-time and at this stage of the match, Nyarko and his Everton associates had demonstrated that they could match the intimidating Spurs crowd with a strong team spirited performance. Local boy Francis Jeffers had already put Everton into the lead and then, just before the half-time whistle, the ball fell loose to Nyarko around 25 yards out, which he struck supremely past Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Neil Sullivan: 2-0. This goal by Nyarko demonstrated the hidden qualities he had as a footballer. A strong stride into space and a thumping right-foot shot into the Tottenham Hotspur net.

Conversely, as it is always said, football is a game of two halves... and Everton let another 2-0 lead slip, falling 3-2 losers in the end with Les Ferdinand initialising the comeback and Sergei Rebrov netting a brace past helpless Everton goalkeeper, Paul Gerrard. This goal by Alex Nyarko was his only goal in an Everton shirt accompanied by a catalogue of performances that validated he simply was not able to cope with the velocity of the English Premier League.

It could be argued presented he was not helped by his Everton teammates as the team was really not performing. Nyarko was verbally singled out by the Goodison faithful and labelled as the main concern for the team's problems with Everton fanzines openly criticising the Ghanaian midfielder. Nyarko specified that he had been having difficulty adjusting to the physical demands of the English Premier League.

The Ghanaian gestured, "The games are too physical, particularly when you are a midfielder. There is no time for creativity and the ball moves so fast from one goal to another. The coaches want you to send the ball quickly up to the strikers and that probably explains why there are so many goals in English football."

The Goodison crowd were losing patience with manager Walter Smith. His methods not working as he routinely opted for wingbacks in a 5-3-2 formation. The season was coming towards an end with Everton again as they did numerous times throughout their Premier League relationship flirt with the prospect of demotion into the English First Division.

The English Premier League crusade was ‘en route' to the end of April and Everton were once again travelling to the capital, North London, where Alex Nyarko had started so well against Tottenham Hotspur in September 2000 when scoring with that impressive strike. However, Everton were travelling to play Arsene Wenger's Arsenal who were fantastic at home.

The Everton crowd had already witnessed some embarrassing defeats throughout that campaign including downfalls at home to Ipswich Town, Coventry City, Aston Villa and Manchester United. Everton struggled when playing away from Goodison Park and there had been apparent suggestions that the players behind the scenes were not enjoying the leadership from Everton assistant Archie Knox.

There had been various physical exchanges between the players and one most famously away to Bradford City when Stephen Hughes had to be separated by his own teammates. Nyarko commented, “Archie was fighting with so many players in the room. I couldn't understand his attitude.” Everton won that game 1-0.

The Everton squad were travelling to Highbury, low, dejected and mentally drained with a recent result playing on everybody's minds that may have been the final nail in the coffin for ‘The Toffees'. Everton had recently just competed in the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, where Gary McAllister scored one of the most famous goals you will ever observe between the two Merseyside clubs. Another defeat at home and double victories in the Merseyside Derby for Liverpool. It was the 94th minute and Everton seemed to have secured an important draw. Free kick to Liverpool… Goal! Score… 3-2.

Arsenal were on their way to secure a UEFA Champions League place and were in no mood to provide Everton with sympathy after just being knocked out by Spaniards Valencia in the quarter finals. A stupendous 4-1 victory and another defeat for Walter Smith's Everton on the road. Sylvain Wiltord scored ‘The Gunners' third goal in the 67th minute with a 20-yard strike off the underside of the crossbar that left Paul Gerrard picking the ball out of his net yet again.

This was the final straw for an annoyed Evertonian who managed to enter the Highbury field of play. The Everton supporter offered to replace his shirt for Nyarko's as it was obvious he thought he could have done a better job and implying that he was giving more commitment to the team than the Ghanaian. Baffled, embarrassed and confused Nyarko discussed with the Everton manager whether it was wise he was substituted. Five minutes later his wish was granted with Israeli Idan Tal replacing the Ghanaian. The Everton supporter was led away by Arsenal captain Tony Adams and Metropolitan Police officers but quite similar to Nyarko, as he was directed to the Away Dressing Room by Everton backroom staff.

A short time after the game, Alex Nyarko had announced his retirement from football at the age of 27, explaining that this Everton fan had been a common tormentor throughout his troubled campaign. When you may have thought Alex Nyarko was going to be delivered with support you would be mistaken as Everton Manager Walter Smith commented, "He showed a lack of strength," said the Scotsman.

"Lots of questions come up - commitment, mentality. He gave up, which is not a great example to set." It was announced on local radio, that Alex Nyarko said he was retiring from football, but Everton indicated that the Ghanaian wanted to make clear that he would never play for ‘The Toffees' again. The Everton manager added to his recent remarks, "I'll need time to think about that …… about five seconds."

Alex Nyarko was given the opportunity to comment on his current status, "Even without football I can live all right. I'm not going to start playing for the club again. I can't live my life like that. I'm quitting football. That's the end of it." Everton released Nyarko to Claude Puel's, “Les rouges et blancs” AS Monaco on loan representing the French side 26 times scoring 2 goals.

After affirming that he would never play for ‘The Toffees' again he did in fact, for another Scotsman, David Moyes. Everton were struggling through their campaign and again were flirting with relegation. Nyarko returned and he famously struck the bar in front of the Park End at Goodison Park were he displayed one of his thunderous strikes he had demonstrated in that early season fixture at White Hart Lane in 2000. He left Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini flatfooted and clattered the bar but again Everton came out as losers to a questionable goal by Romanian, Adrian Mutu.

He achieved another 11 appearances for Everton under Moyes but was eventually released as his work permit expired and could not be renewed. He went on to represent, IK Start and Yverdon-Sport FC later on his career but to conclude his career in short it was a clear disappointment and one with so much potential. Alex Nyarko – the next Patrick Vieira. Whoever decided that, needs sacking.

Reader Comments (26)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

About these ads

---

---