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One of the choices presented to Brendan Rodgers by Liverpool’s transfer committee was Samuel Eto’o.

But in the summer of 2014, with the deadline looming and the Reds’ boss eager to bolster his attacking options, Rodgers opted to handle a ticking time bomb instead.

On August 25, Liverpool sealed the £16m signing of Mario Balotelli from AC Milan but Eto’o, eager to remain in England after being released by Chelsea, wouldn’t have to look far for a club .

Rodgers passed up on the opportunity to take the former Barcelona striker on a free transfer because he believed the striker’s legs had gone whereas Balotelli, he rationalised, at least gave him a player he could improve.

But Roberto Martinez, in need of a back-up for Romelu Lukaku, was willing to take a chance on the 33-year-old even though he was warned it could go awry.

Five months later, the former Everton boss may have wished he’d listened more to the advice.

Senior figures at Goodison had urged caution when talks opened between Martinez and Eto’o, saying that high profile players – whatever their age - would not accept sitting on the bench.

Martinez even alluded to as much, saying: “His finishing is of the highest calibre but it’s important that we give him the right amount of playing time.”

That was said after Eto’o had scored twice in a 3-1 win at Burnley, he played the full 90 in the next two league games but he would only start a total of six more league games before leaving for Sampdoria in January.

Eto’o had already come off the bench to score with his first touch against Chelsea, bagged an equaliser against Krasnodar in the Europa League and spoke about winning the competition.

But it was in November and December, during a run of one win in 13, that the “gift from the footballing gods” started to become a bit of a nightmare for Martinez.

Firstly, there was the home game with QPR.

It was the only match Everton won in that torrid run but Eto’o, or so the story goes, wasn’t a happy bunny.

Dropped to the bench, having played the entire game against Manchester City a week earlier, the three-time Champions League winner is said to have refused to warm up with Martinez thinking of making a change.

He stayed sat down and bellowed: “I am Eto’o. I am Eto’o”.

Eventually, with some ‘encouragement’, he did warm up and came on for Lukaku to play the final 13 minutes.

Despite Eto’o’s apparent lack of discipline, he started the following game but the wheels on his Everton career were soon to come off.

There followed rumours of Eto’o trying to take charge of one half-time team-talk with the team trailing but as the striker was leaving the club the Catalan insisted: “We have heard a lot of stories but there is nothing sinister with Samuel.”

On arriving at Goodison, Eto’o said: “I was impressed with his enthusiasm but also by the knowledge of football that Roberto Martínez carries, his vision of football and how he reads football. I still think I can learn a great deal from him here.”

But there was a growing feeling that his opinion had changed somewhat.

Ninety minutes at Newcastle just after Christmas would be Eto’o’s final appearance for the Blues and as the January window opened, the rumour mill kicked into gear again.

Sampdoria wanted him and on January 27, with Everton on a warm weather training camp in Doha, one of the most decorated players to have worn the club shirt, was off.

He was three starts short of triggering a 12 month contract extension but Martinez insisted there was nothing untoward about his exit.

Club insiders say the Blues were fortunate they could offload a veteran player, on weekly wages said to be around £75,000 and less than six months after he’d joined, but the Serie A club needed no hesitation in taking up his contract and paid a nominal fee to get him.

Yet Martinez had nothing but praise for Eto’o on his exit, saying: “We thank Samuel for his efforts and for bringing his know-how to the team.

“He has passed on some of his terrific experiences to all of the young players.”

At Finch Farm, he was only too happy to talk glowingly about his performances in training, his immaculate first touch in particular, and always refuted the idea that Eto’o had been an unsettling influence on Lukaku, even though he changed agents less than four months later.

Everton had experienced a brush with a once great player but by the end of the season, Martinez spoke like a man who would not make the same decision again.

“It is not just a case of bringing in names and players for the sake of it,” he said.

“That is something that sounds great for 24 hours but it doesn’t help in the next 10 months.”