Disgruntled Distin breaks his silence

by | 08/05/2015



(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The 37 year-old posted a tweet today in response to David Prentice's column in the Liverpool Echo that suggests all is not well between he and manager Roberto Martinez, a fact backed up by comments made to the French publication.

Distin played 37 times for the Blues last season but has appeared on just 12 occasions this term and has been absent entirely from the first-team squad since being named among the substitutes for the match against Crystal Palace in February.

With no guarantees that Evertonians will get to see the Frenchman one last time before, as seems certain, he leaves the club as a free agent this summer, Prentice opined that a player with more Premier League games for Everton under his belt than any of Duncan Ferguson, Mikel Arteta and Kevin Campbell should not just be "ushered quietly out of the back door" at the end of the month.

That prompted Distin to take to Twitter — where he used to regularly engage good-naturedly with Everton supporters and showed adeptness at swatting down trolls from across the Park — for the first time in months to say:

@LivEchoEFC @prenno truth always comes out. Now isn't the time to talk... See you at the end of the season — Sylvain Distin (@sylvaind15tin) May 8, 2015

Apart from turning out as an over-age player for the Under-21s side, Distin has not seen action for four months now and unless he is given a run out as a substitute against Spurs, it's likely Blues fans have seen the last of a player who has played almost 170 times for Everton since arriving for �5m five and a half years ago.

The defender's quip on social media suggests, however, that they won't have heard the last from him and his comments in L'Equipe shed more light on the situation from the player's point of view..

Distin's relationship with Martinez has been the subject of much conjecture ever since the awful League Cup defeat at Swansea after which the former Portsmouth, Manchester City and Newcastle defender, is believed to have had a serious falling out with the manager, something he denies in the interview.

Rumours swirled that Distin was either rebuked for questioning Martinez's methods or was singled out for particular criticism by his boss for his performance in the game and he was given 10 days off to return to his native France for a period of reflection.

"There was no clash [with the manager]," he said. "I just had a forced rest week but I was not dropped."

He returned to the side in October but lost his place again after picking up a groin injury in the FA Cup tie against West Ham in early January. He was then the subject of speculation linking him with the Hammers on transfer deadline day, a move that reportedly collapsed over a disagreement over the length of the contract offered by the East London side.

"On 2 February, I went to see the coach to discuss the proposal from West Ham who had offered me a transfer until the end of the season," he said.

"The next day, at a press conference, [Martinez] said he was counting on me and that I was part of the team. But since that day, I have not been called up once."

Distin explained that he feels fit and has no intention of hanging up his boots but is at a loss to why he has been absent from the side.

"I have no idea. Ask him (the manager). We haven't spoken. There are many things that get lost in football and you hope that there is still a modicum of respect. But hey, I've played at the top level for 20 years so I take time on the weekends with my family. I keep my spirits up.

"I do not think [it is because of my age]. If [Everton] tell me they want to prepare for the future, no problem. This is something that can be understood if it's explained ... I was told nothing. If one day I was told that I'm slow, we could put all the central defenders on a line and we'll see ... There is no problem.

"If you saw the weeks of training I do to compensate for my lack of playing time, you would see that I did not want to [retire]! If I can find a club where I feel good, I have no limit.

"It's a shame as I would have liked to finish my career at Everton. But in football, we do not always do what we want."

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