Premier League's new £25m signing worked at KFC 4 years ago in unusual journey
Whatever Everton fans think of their club’s transfer window so far, they can’t complain about new signing Beto’s hunger.
Less than four years ago he was still working in a Lisbon KFC, as he fought to find a pathway into professional football through the amateur game in Portugal.
His journey to Merseyside and a £25m transfer to the Blues means he has finally completed a rise to fame that even his friends and team-mates told him was impossible.
But despite signing a four year deal with the Goodison club, he hasn’t forgotten his roots, and revealed he still visits his former colleagues at the KFC he worked in in Lisbon, when he is back in the neighbourhood.
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Beto was never picked up as a youngster by one of the big Portugal clubs, and instead played for amateur side Tires in his country’s capital, combining it with a job in the famous fast food restaurant.
“I was training with Tires and working in Lisbon, it was a nice life,” he explained in a recent interview. I was working at KFC. It was good. When I return home, I always go to that KFC to visit my friends.”
Beto, now 25, took the hard route to the top, playing several seasons in amateur football, before eventually getting a move to a tiny Portuguese third division outfit Olimpico Montijo.
And he never lost the belief or drive to play at the top level, despite advice from those around him that he wouldn’t make it.
Beto scored 10 times for Udinese last season“I always believed - I wanted to become a professional football player, and I believed it was possible, even though my team-mates didn’t believe it.
“They were telling me: ‘Beto, it’s hard, it’s impossible.’ Then I joined Portimonense and they changed their mind.”
From there, he was spotted by Udinese, and a record of 21 goals in two season with the Italian Serie A club, alerted Everton to his goalscoring prowess.
They initially tried to sign him in January, and completed a move on Tuesday, with boss Sean Dyche desperate to find a source of goals, after his side have failed to find the net in their three Premier League matches this season.
And he has promised the fans he will give everything to ensure the Blues remain in the top division this season. “I can bring courage, I can bring confidence and I think my biggest thing is effort. I will always bring enthusiasm to the team and to our games. I feel like my style is a really good fit with Everton,” he said.
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“I am looking forward to getting started - today, right now. I know the team needs to score more goals and I will try to help with this. I love to score goals. I know we need this and I am here to help. I will always give my best to score goals.
“It feels really good to be here and I want to make my mark. Let's do it.”
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