Dou or die!
CHELSEA v EVERTON ❱ LAST-GASP HERO HOPES TO AVOID SAVING THE DAY
ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE has gone down in Everton folklore for his relegation-saving goal in May but will happily shun hero status this time around.
The Mali international admits the stunning strike from outside the box against Bournemouth (below) to maintain Goodison’s proud elite status – which stretches back to 1951 – made him a household name – and not just on Merseyside.
“Supporters from other clubs have recognised me because of that goal. They say he’s from Everton, he is a saviour,” said
Doucoure.
Normally low profile, he would rather it was kept that way but with Everton once again immersed in the relegation battle, the midfielder, 31, might have to don his Superman cape for an encore.
“I’ve seen the goal back a lot of times,” he added.
“It’s my favourite goal in terms of the situation and everything. It was the most nerve-racking and best moment in football.
“Of course we don’t want to go through that again and have to repeat it. We don’t want to get to the last game to try and be safe again.
“We want to have the job done before. We will try to do that in the last seven games. I don’t want to live again ■ by like I did last season. It was too stressful for the fans, and they don’t deserve that.”
As they travel to Stamford Bridge tomorrow night Everton will be hoping that Doucoure also maintains his scoring spree against Chelsea – he’s hit the back of the net in two successive games – after being landed with a two-point deduction to add to the previous six-point punishment.
An added bonus is that Doucoure, along with fellow Muslims Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana, has just completed Ramadan.
Doucoure added: “It finished on Wednesday. It was quite tough.
“Obviously now you can eat, you can get back some energy. The first two weeks is okay but the last two weeks are much harder because your body gets very tired.”
An opportunist goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Burnley last weekend ended a run of 13 Premier League games without a win.
However, Doucoure insists the squad’s fighting spirit didn’t suffer during a barren points period.
“In football you always have something to prove to people,” he said. “I am a great example of resilience because I never give up. You can hit me 10 times and I will stand up 11 times, this is my mentality.”