Yak Yak Yak

Last updated : 29 August 2007 By Les Roberts
The burley Nigerian has signed a five-year-deal that will keep him at the club until he is 29, so we should get his best years out of him.

Which is an exciting prospect given the oft-quoted fact that his goal scoring record over the last four seasons is second only to, former Arsenal striker, Thierry Henry.

The probelm with his work permit came about due to the fact that he had not competed in the necessary 75 per cent of games for his national team over the past year.

But, and this is the ludicrous bit, had it fallen through with Everton, he would have been free to go back and play for Middlesbrough.

Not that they'd have wanted him back like!

But I can't imagine that a Nigerian plumber would need to re-new his visa every time he changed employer!

Anyway, Everton today appealed against the decision and were successful.

This meant that Yakubu has become Everton's record signing with the Blues stumping up £11.25 million for his services.

A few eyebrows have been raised about his signing, not all of them on the same face, as his work rate has been questioned.

But no-one can argue with his goalscoring record which averaged out at about 1 in 2 at Portsmouth and 1 in 3 at Middlesbrough.

And, after Saturday's limp performance up front, we could certainly do with some power in attack.

Especially as it's Bolton up next!

Here's what Yakubu had to say about his move to Goodison: "I have always said that I want to play for a club that plays in Europe and I think they have the ambition to move forward and they want to finish in the first four and the Champions League and Uefa Cup and for me that is my dream.

He added: "I know there is a long way to go and I want to be part of that - to be successful and to have that dream."

We're gonna claim our fourth spot back then!