Midweek Sport

Family comes first for new boy Mirallas

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KEVIN MIRALLAS is confident he has made the right choice in joining “family club” Everton despite turning down Champions League football.

Mirallas, 24, had lengthy discussion­s with both Arsenal and FC Porto this summer about joining sides in Europe’s elite competitio­n.

However, he opted for Everton and completed his £5.3million deal from Olympiakos after having a medical on Saturday.

He was in the stands at Goodison to witness the Toffees’ win over Manchester United on Monday night thanks to fellow Belgian Marouane Fellaini’s second-half header.

Mirallas admitted he did not need any more persuading though after his family and Fellaini convinced him to join Everton.

He said: “It wasn’t just Arsenal that were after me. There were other clubs as well.

Family

“Porto were interested and so were one or two other English clubs. But after speaking to my agent, we knew we had made the right choice coming to Everton.

“I am very much a family person so when I make a decision, I do it with my partner and my parents as well.

“Having spoken with both David Moyes and Marouane, we realised that this is a family club.

“To progress as an individual and flourish in a family environmen­t was something attracted me.”

Mirallas said that a move to a club outside of the Champions League may be the right move for him at the moment.

He said: “A lot of people have asked me why I turned down the Champions League.

“I just felt from a sporting point of view that it was the right time to come and play in the Premier League.

“This is a good enough step for me at this stage of my career.”

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 ??  ?? CONFIDENT: Mirallas
CONFIDENT: Mirallas

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