Football
ESPN staff 10y

Leighton Baines convinced Samuel Eto'o has killer instinct for Everton

Leighton Baines believes Samuel Eto'o has the goalscoring instincts to help Everton compete for Champions League qualification this season.

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The Toffees landed the former Barcelona and Chelsea striker on a two-year contract during the transfer window, and he has already given his new club a taste of his ability by scoring off the bench in a 6-3 defeat against Jose Mourinho's side last Saturday.

"From his first training session he looked sharp," Baines told the Liverpool Echo. "I know it sounds stupid but even the way he passes the ball is done properly. He moves in the right way. It sounds like small things but he just looks a good footballer and he can't half finish as well.

"He'll always have that goal-scoring instinct. His movement will always be good. We've seen bits of it so far in training and then against Chelsea that he can make an impact."

Everton boss Roberto Martinez thinks the club have pulled off a coup by landing such an experienced forward as a free agent, and believes the 33-year-old -- who recently retired from the Cameroon national side -- can use the upcoming international break to find full fitness.

"That's a real bonus for us," he said. "To see Samuel already in such a good moment of form and making such a good introduction into his Everton career.

"He's fitted into the dressing room really well so I am really happy to see him have that big impact and we have to work extremely hard to get him up to speed so he can play 90 minutes in every game.

"I thought he played with real experience [against Chelsea], real know-how and you could see that every time he got involved in the action there was real meaning behind it."

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