While now more well-known for his Arsenal ties, Mikel Arteta's love affair with English football first began as a 22-year-old on the banks of the River Mersey at Everton.
In early 2005, Toffees boss David Moyes was looking to bolster his midfield as they chased a Champions League place, and remembered a player who'd caught his eye in a pre-season friendly with Real Sociedad the previous August. While out of favour at his hometown club, a youthful Arteta boasted technical excellence developed at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, and experience at both Paris Saint-Germain and Rangers, both of whom he'd represented in the Champions League.
After Moyes made contact, on deadline day in February 1, 2005, Mikel made the call to sample English football for six months - a decision that would shape his and Everton's fortunes for the next six years.
opportunity knocks
On the day Mikel arrived on Merseyside, the then-Everton chief executive Keith Wyness said: "This is a real coup as a number of clubs were interested." It turned out to be a marvellous piece of business as Everton attempted to hold down the fourth and final Champions League spot they possessed with 15 games to go, four points above neighbours Liverpool.
Reflecting back upon his initial move, Mikel told the BBC: "David [Moyes] called me. Again, [he was] a Scottish manager and he was very close to Alex McLeish, so because they knew each other from Glasgow, he knew what I did in Glasgow [for Rangers]."
At the time, Moyes added: "He fits all the requirements for us, he can play midfield, he can play wide, so it gives us a bit more cover. It's a good chance to have a look at a promising young player. Between us, we will all decide whether he will be a good addition."
It didn't take long for Mikel to begin making an impression. He put in a fine performance on his first Premier League start in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, and while a narrow loss at Anfield saw nerves jangle in the blue half of Merseyside, Arteta kept a cool head. The Spaniard netted his first Toffees goal in April, bending a superb free-kick into the corner during a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace, and then was at the heart of a momentous victory, setting up Duncan Ferguson to power home the only goal in a victory over Manchester United.
Mikel produced another assist in a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in May, which all but sealed a top-four finish for the Blues, a position that was confirmed 24 hours later when Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-1 at Highbury. History had been made as Everton qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
class is permanent
Unsurprisingly given his exploits in royal blue, Mikel's loan spell was made permanent that summer as he penned a five-year deal to remain at Goodison Park.
"I'm delighted," he told the club's website in July 2005. "There's been so much speculation but my mind was always with Everton. I am so, so happy because this is what I wanted. I have signed for five years here and I want to help this team grow, work very hard and do something very, very good next season."
Following Everton's fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, they still needed to beat Villarreal in a qualifier to gain entry to the Champions League group stages. Despite Mikel scoring another free-kick in the second leg, a controversial late Ferguson goal was disallowed and the Toffees went out 4-2 on aggregate. The Yellow Submarine meanwhile would go on to reach the semi-finals, where we defeated them 1-0 over two legs.
Everton would go on to finish in 11th place in 2005/06, but Mikel picked up both the Everton Player of the Season and the Players' Player of the Season awards for a sensational first full campaign on Merseyside. Then in 2006/07 he helped Everton return to Europe, finishing in sixth place to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
His performances didn't go unnoticed. Netting nine times across the campaign, Mikel was once again named the Everton Player of the Season. He was also voted the Premier League's 'Midfielder of the Year' by the viewers of Sky Sports, taking 31% of the votes and finishing ahead of Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Goodison Roar
The one thing Mikel loved the most about representing Everton was playing at Goodison Park. That feeling was burning strong in 2008 when he netted in the UEFA Cup knockout stages against Fiorentina. While the night that would ultimately end in heartbreak as the Toffees lost on penalties, Mikel recalled to Everton's website: "I remember that night. The atmosphere we created on those nights at Goodison. When you’re a player and you step on the pitch and you have that sense around the crowd and the fans, the energy they created was incredible.
"Those fans were incredible with me, I always felt part of the family, they made me feel very welcome. I tried to give what I had to make them proud. The fact it was after so many years of European football, I think the fans were waiting for those nights as well."
The individual accolades continued to flow for Mikel on Merseyside, becoming the first Evertonian to win the Liverpool Echo's Sports Personality of the Year award in January 2008.
“I just need to thank everyone in this city,” said Arteta upon receiving his award. “It takes a long time to settle when you come from abroad, but the people have made it so much easier for me. When you have problems with the language, everyone will always help you out."
Injury heartbreak
While Mikel was going from strength to strength, disaster would strike in February 2009 as he was carried off on a stretcher in a 0-0 draw against Newcastle. He would find out he had suffered knee ligament damage, keeping him out of the remainder of the 2008/09 season, a campaign which saw Everton reach the FA Cup final but lose 2-1 to Chelsea.
Being denied the chance to walk out at Wembley against Chelsea was a bitter blow for Mikel, who later said: “We were fighting to get some titles, and after I did my cruciate, probably when I was playing my best football, I missed [the final]. When we lost I was gutted because that was such an opportunity. We knew we wouldn’t get many of them."
Having made his return in January 2010, Mikel then netted two goals in a classy display against Hull City as the Toffees dispatched the Tigers 5-1. Following the game, Moyes was full of praise for his returning Spaniard, saying: "That performance showed how much we have missed him over the last year. He would have been in contention for a World Cup place if he hadn't been injured."
Tim and teammates
Mikel was a popular figure at Goodison Park, striking up a close relationship with one player in particular, Tim Cahill. The pair regularly combined for goals during their time together on Merseyside, as Mikel fondly recalls. "He was like a brother to me. On the pitch, we used to get on really well, we understood each other really well. But outside the pitch we had a great relationship too. He was incredible."
The feeling was mutual, as Cahill explained in 2020: "He's a good leader and he's someone I struck a good friendship with because we had a natural understanding on the pitch, just from his movements and the way he crossed the ball. We talked in and outside of training, analysing the teams we'd be coming up against and we analysed ourselves."
Naturally, many players loved playing and being around Mikel during their time at Everton. James Beattie told The Athletic: “Technically, he was unreal. He had great footwork, could carry the ball, had great balance and could play off either foot. He brought creativity to a workmanlike team.
“He was very, very serious about his football, but he had a side to him that he could be quite funny in a dry way. Some footballers are intelligent but not intelligent on the pitch, and some are daft as a brush but very smart footballers. Mikel was both."
THE FINAL ACT
Mikel's final full season in 2010/11 saw him score in a 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby and in a 3-3 draw against Manchester United as the Toffees finished the season in seventh position.
Fittingly, the 29-year-old signed off his time at Everton with a penalty in his 209th and final match for the club against Blackburn Rovers in August 2011 - his 35th goal in Everton colours - before making his move to Emirates Stadium. The rest, as they say, is history.
"It is very difficult to say goodbye. I still can't believe it, but at the same time I think it is the right moment for everyone," he said in his final interview with Everton before departing to N5. "The way football is, there is always a start and an end, and today is the end of probably the best time of my career.
"I am never going to forget what I have done here, and what the people and this club have done for me."