100

If Mikky has his way he will stay at Everton. He has told us 100 times.

Mikky says:" I'm very happy to be here. I've said 100 times already. We'll see what happens. Everything about Everton wants me to stay. The people, the spirit, the nice atmosphere.

We have a great chance next season to play in the Champions League, if we can get through the qualifying round, which is the best competition you can find. I think it's a great club and they are looking to do something nice and grow in the next three or four years. I would like to be involved in this new project." (13/05/05)

Sign Him Up

Stevey Watto who has done fantastically well himself in recent weeks, has praised new boy Mikky Arteta, and his performances since joining the Blues. It is still undecided what will happen to Mikky in the Summer, but I am sure 40,000 fans who turn up to watch week in week out, have already made their minds up about him. Find a pen Moyesy and sign him up.

Watto says: "Mikel has added something else to us. Everyone was disappointed when Tommy Gravesen left but Mikel has done a similar job by getting control of the ball and dictating the play. He is the man we all look for now in the middle - he never panics on the ball, keeps possession and he has been vital." (11/05/05)

Best Is Yet Too Come

Mr. Potat......, I'll have to stop that. Mikky Arteta is telling the fans that the best is yet to come from him and the team. As he prepares to face Man ure on Wednesday evening, he knows nothing short of a top class performance from the boys will secure three points in the pursuit of Europe's Premier Competition.

Our Tater says: "I hope the fans have not seen the best of me or the best of the team yet. We want to improve in every game. It is not easy to play every game at your best level but we have to try. That is what we will have to do on Wednesday. We still have some very difficult games and it is going to be hard but we want to keep winning and we want to keep hold of fourth place. That is our target.

Manchester United will be very difficult and we lost against them last time. But we have to learn from what we did wrong in that game because we want to win the three points. You should always try to win the three points when you are at home and that is what we are aiming for from this game." (18/04/05)

Matador

Mikel Arteta strolled around the pitch on Sunday like a Spanish Matador. He was teasing the oppostion all afternoon and capped his great display with a wonderfull free- kick to start the scoring off. We have the first option to buy in the summer him for under £3m, he looks a snip at the price. He looks like he really is enjoying himself at Everton.

Mikky says:"I have always taken free-kicks in my career and I have scored quite a few, especially at Rangers. I was lucky to score this one against Crystal Palace, because it was a very important goal for us, one that gave us confidence and I'm really happy that I scored it."

"It was an important win for the team and it was a great performance from all the guys. There was a lot of pressure on us to win the game, but we played well and I think the win will give us the push we need to finish the season on a high note. It was very important that we won this game after the three defeats. When we were six points clear, people were saying that we would definitely finish fourth and when we were defeated in the Merseyside derby nobody gave us a chance."

"We are just going to keep working hard until the end of the season and try to win every game. It's going to be difficult, but we have to believe. I believe we can finish fourth - and so does everyone in the club." (12/04/05)

Play Through Pain

Mikky is pleased with his form and so is Moyesy, but all he is thinking about is the team winning games, even if it means playing with a painful ankle.

Our Tater says: “The games are very open and we need to score more goals. If I can put balls through to the strikers to try and score goals. I will - and if I could score, that would be great. However, it doesn’t matter how many we score, just as long as we start winning again. We have three games at home now and it’s going to be a really important period for us because Bolton and Liverpool have difficult games as well.

It’s always nice when the manager says nice things about you, but the most important thing was that we didn’t beat West Bromwich Albion. We need the points because we want to finish fourth. It was unfortunate for me because I got a very bad tackle on my ankle and initially I thought I wouldn’t be able to continue. I got to half-time and the manager asked me to play another half - and I was happy to do that. I gave 100%. It’s still quite sore now, but I don’t want to stop. I want to try and help the team as best as I can. My ankle is getting better and better every day and every day I am trying to make it better.” (08/04/05)

Contract Target

As a boy, doctors told 'our tater' he would never be able to play any sport, due to a serious heart defect. Now as well as proving the doctors wrong he's now set a target of winning a long term contract with Everton.

Mikky says: “My health problems have made me more grateful about what I can achieve. When I was born they detected a big problem with my heart, but I couldn’t have surgery because I was too small. When I was two I had the first operation, but they said that I wouldn’t be able to play any sport. I had to be very careful growing up, but there have been no problems since I was about 15. It was difficult for my Mum and Dad. If they saw me jumping around, the doctors warned them: ‘If he turns purple, take him to hospital.’ It was okay if I turned blue or red, but purple was dangerous!

After seeing my dream of being a success with my hometown club Real Sociedad go wrong, I want to find myself a club that I can stay with for a long time. I hope it can be with Everton, but that is a decision that will be taken by the manager at the end of the season. All I can do is try to play well and help the team qualify for the Champions League. " (03/04/05)

Mikky Back in Business

Mikel Arteta is on course for a return to the Blues squad for this Sunday's clash at West Brom. Mikky who missed the Derby defeat, after picking up an injury against Blackburn, will be hoping to bolster Moyesy's squad, after a run of recent defeats. In a long winded, and sometimes over the top statement, Alan Irvine mumbled on saying, well you read it.....

Alan Irvine says: "Mikel is back in training today." (29/03/05)

Wait and See

Baz Rathbone is not going to rush Mikky Arteta back, as the Derby looms. He is making reasonable progress according to the bald eagle, but as yet it is still to early to predict whether he makes the starting line up. I bet Mikky wants to play, so he can claim bragging rights over the Spaniards at Analfield.

Basil says: "The players have to train before they can play and they have to undergo rigorous fitness tests so you would hope that the players don’t try to come back before they’re ready. By and large the squad is in good shape. Obviously we’ve had a couple of injuries. Mikel Arteta, as most people know, injured his ankle in the game against Blackburn Rovers. He’s making reasonable progress, he’s increasing his work every day but it’s still too early to say if he'll be ready for Liverpool." (16/03/05)

Touch & Go

Mikky is still a doubt for the derby.

Bazza says: "It is too early to say whether he will be fit for the derby. But let's just hope he keeps on improving."(14/03/05)

Progress

David Moyes is happy with the progress Mikky is making with his injury.

Moyesy says:"Mikel is talking well about it and he is happy with how it is going. But we have got time on our side with him and so we are not going to push him too hard."(10/03/05)

Destination Analfield

Mikky Our Tater should be fit when the Blues visit Analfield a week Sunday. Mikky who was injured in Sundays defeat, is limping around at present, but Basil the Physio reckons he should be ok, with some rest and recuperation.

Mikky says: "I think I have slightly damaged ligaments in my ankle and knee. Hopefully it’s not too serious and I’ll be able to play in our next match. I got to the ball earlier than him and he tackled me from behind. I twisted my ankle and turned my knee, so I was in quite a bit of pain.

I didn’t want to come off, but the physio told me that I should leave the field. I wanted to continue, but I couldn’t."

Top Man Baz says: "Our initial clinical diagnosis was that the injury is not too serious, though we decided to take him for an x-ray. Nothing obvious showed and though he is obviously in some pain and limping around, we are happy that the injury will settle reasonably quickly." (08/03/05)

Love The Gaff

It looks like Moyesy has found a class acy in Mikky. After his Rolls Royce performance against Villa, footy experts have compared his play to a certain Colin Harvey. But the most important thing for Mikky is his love for the place and the people.

Mikky says: "I'm enjoying it a lot. I was so happy to come here. They have had a great season and I now have the chance to play the last part of that season, hoping we can qualify for Europe. I like it. It's similar to Glasgow and all the other cities in Britain. The people are very, very kind to me and the people at the club have been helping my family and myself, so I am very happy at Everton." (02/03/05)

Earn Your Contract

Moyesy is happy with the contribution that Mikey has made in the short time he has been at the club. Nobody questions his skill, but Moyesy has challenged him to do a bit on the physical side. Then he may earn a contact for next season.

Moyesy says: “I thought he did quite well for us last week, so he’ll get opportunities between now and the end of the season to see if he can earn himself a full contract. That’s what I said to him when he came here, as his time here will give every Evertonian, as well as myself a chance to show us what he can do. We’ll pick and choose what game he plays in. Our intention is to rotate the squad as much as we can, even though we have a very small squad, because of the amount of football that some of them have played.

But at this moment, the indications are that he will play and he can certainly play. We know he can pass the ball. We know he wants to get on the ball. He takes up terrific positions to receive the ball and we’ve seen that since he’s been here. However, we knew that before he came. What we need to find out now is whether he can cut the mustard when it comes to the strength and the physical side of the English game. We ask a lot of our players, we want them to be able to do everything.” (25/02/05)

I Like's, What I See

Moyesy likes what he see's in his deadline day signing, Mr. Pot......, sorry Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard who is at the Blues on loan, is going a long way in Moyesy's eyes to obtaining a contract for himself come the Summer. With the Blues he can go back to Spain, as many times as he likes, to play the likes of Madrid, and Barca. Fuck me, I can't wait.

Moyesy says: "Mikel Arteta played well at the weekend and he was able to give us some great passes throughout the course of the game. I also thought that he and Leon Osman made us produce some good football against Manchester United. They helped link us up and did their jobs well." (22/02/05)

Unbelievable and Magnificent

New boy Mikky Arteta, is urging all Blues fans to get behind the team, as they fight to secure fourth in the League. After the disappointment of Saturday's Cup defeat, now behind them, Mikky is looking to win every game, so we can hold off the red shite to the final spot.

Mikky says: "We are going to need the fans supporting us as best they can between now and the end of the season. It’s going to be hard for us to get that Champions League place, but we as players want it and so do the fans, so we must work together. We’re in a great position, so we must all do our best for the club. We must concentrate on the league and look to win every game. We must get back to the winning mentality.

There is an incredibly passionate atmosphere in Goodison Park and that makes us do everything we can to win the game for the fans. The fans play an incredibly important role for the team and I really appreciate them because there is such a difference between the English and Spanish atmospheres. It’s unbelievable, it’s magnificent. The Everton fans give fantastic support to their team with their singing and encouragement - it’s great for the players." (21/02/05)

Settled

Mikky, who is by far the most handsome Spaniard working in the area, is feeling settled into the Everton way.

Mikky says: "I thought I settled into the team quite well. The other players have been helping me settle into the team and helping me everyday to try and explain how they play and how we should all work together. It's the same in the changing rooms as it is on the training field as it is during matches. Everybody is working hard.

I am also used to playing in many different roles and systems, so I don't think that fitting in here will be a problem."(09/02/05)

Proud To Be Blue

Everton new boy Tricky Mikky Arteta, has said it was an easy decision joining the Blues, as he wants to help us qualify for Champions League football next season. He hinted that he would have never considered joining his fellow country men over at Analfield, as since coming to Merseyside, he reckons there is a strong whiff of shite coming from over that side of Stanley Park. Well played Mikky.

Mikky says: "I love the Premiership. I’ve always wanted to come here and when they told me that there was a possibility for me to come here I decided that I’d like to help as much as I can to get Everton into the Champions League. My aim is to get a permanent contract here. I wasn’t playing in Spain and I needed to play. Everton have now given me this opportunity so I think it’s important to play my best for the team and for myself. I don’t really like to speak too much about myself but I will go out on the pitch and show what I can do. I think that we have to play next season in the Champions League. I’ve come here to try to help the team achieve that so we’ll see what happens.

David Moyes has a good vision for the future but I’d rather concentrate on the present because that’s the most important thing for me. If he likes me then we will see after that.
I’m really happy to be here. The team atmosphere is brilliant. They are all trying to speak to me and help me. I appreciate it and that’s really important.

I hope that my time in the Scottish Premier League will help me here. It’s important that I know the language. Now I can speak with my teammates which helps me to adapt quicker. I know some of the players because I’ve been watching Everton on TV. I want to know my team mates as well as I can so it will help me on the pitch." (02/02/05)

Mikky Trains Today

The classy midfield player is hoping he can make it in the big time after failing to secure a permanent place in his home town side, Real Sociadad. He trains with his new team mates today.

Mikky says: "I am sad to be leaving Sociedad, I came here with all the hope in the world. It is clear that the coach is not counting on me and I can't allow that situation to continue. I didn't play well at the start of the season, but since then I have not been given a chance."

Moyesy says: “We have a got an opportunity to look at him for six months, the Everton supporters have a chance to look at him and between us we will all decide whether Mikel Arteta will be a good addition to the squad at Everton. He fits all the requirements for us, he can play midfield, he can play wide, so it gives us a bit more cover and a good chance to have a look at a promising young player. He did very well for Glasgow Rangers, then got himself a big money transfer to Real Sociedad though maybe it has not quite worked for him.”

Stubbsey says: It’s great to have Mikel here. Everyone knows that we are short on numbers and any players that do come in are welcome. He’s a good player, he’s clever on the ball. Technically, he’s very good. So, when he comes on Tuesday, we’ll welcome him, wish him all the best and help him out in whatever way we can I hope he does well here.” (01/02/05)

Mikky Signs

We have made our second January signing. Mikky, to his mates, has joined the Toffeemen on loan until the end of the season. If it all goes well we may make the deal a permanent one.

Keith "Bully" Wyness says: "We are delighted that Mikel has agreed to join us and this is a real coup for Everton as there were a number of other clubs interested. David Moyes, Bill Kenwright and myself have been working behind the scenes on a daily basis attempting to strengthen the squad and the signing of Mikel, who is one of the best young prospects in Spain, is hopefully testament to that." (31/01/05)

Full First Team Squad