Source: Northern_Echo
Everton deny blunders over Gosling
EVERTON have refuted David Hodgson's suggestion that the Merseyside club's complacency resulted in Dan Gosling's free transfer to Newcastle.[LNB] Gosling controversially became a free agent earlier this summer when Everton's failure to table a written contract offer instead of a verbal one entitled him to move elsewhere.[LNB] Former Darlington manager Hodgson, who represents Gosling under the auspices of Darlington-based law firm BHP, claimed Everton officials were in no rush to offer the midfielder a new deal as he had suffered a cruciate injury that will sideline him until December.[LNB] They probably felt that because Dan's injury was so serious maybe nobody was going to sign him and they were in a position to offer him anything they wanted,[LNB] said Hodgson. Dan Gosling did not walk out on Everton, they chose not to keep him.[LNB] However, Everton officials have denied the claims, and insisted that they believed Gosling would sign a contract extension at Goodison Park as a result of a longstanding gentleman's agreement[LNB] that dated back to January 2008, when the 20- year-old joined the club from Plymouth.[LNB] In the very long history of our club, our executive team have never once forgotten or neglected to deal properly and professionally with contractual matters, said Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.[LNB] We place our trust in people; we always keep our side of any offered deal and all we have ever asked is that others do the same.[LNB] David Moyes held a number of discussions with Gosling in the latter stages of his previous deal, and the Everton boss has claimed he did not feel Newcastle's most recent signing was worth a place at the heart of his side's midfield.[LNB] Dan came to see me and told me that he saw himself as a central midfield player rather than someone who operated in a wide position,[LNB] said Moyes. I did not think at that point that he would get into the Everton team as a central midfield player.[LNB] I was always fully aware of the handshake agreement which Dave Hodgson had with a senior club official regarding Dan's fourth and fifth years and because of that agreement there wasn't, in my opinion, any necessity to put anything in writing.[LNB] The first I knew of a problem was when Dave rang me to say that Dan's contract had lapsed and that he would be seeking to leave us on a free transfer.[LNB]
