Premier League outfit Everton released Sam Cosgrove back in 2013 – now he’s shining in Scotland to attract attention from Serie A giants Lazio.
When watching Sam Cosgrove soar like a salmon and guide an inch-perfect header into the top corner, it is impossible not to be reminded of Duncan Ferguson in his barrel-chested, defence-squashing pomp.
Cosgrove scored 22 goals in all competitions for Aberdeen last season, finishing second in the Golden Boot after a superb debut season in Pittodrie. He’s already tallied nine in eight games in the early weeks of 2019/20 too.
And it should come as a surprise to absolutely no one to learn that Cosgrove, an old-school throwback of a number nine, learned the tricks of the trade from ‘Big Dunc’ himself during his formative years in the Everton youth system.
“Duncan just started his coaching at Everton when I was there. He was always fond of me, being a big guy myself,” the 6ft 2ins Yorkshire-born striker told the Daily Record.
“There was all these small kids and playmakers coming through at the time, so he took a shine to me and maybe saw a bit of himself in me.”
Though Ferguson’s obvious admiration for a robust, physical striker who’d perhaps look more at home in the mud-covered pitches of the mid-90s wasn’t enough to convince Everton to give him a chance in an era of fleet-footed inside forwards and ethereal false nines.
Cosgrove was released as a teenager in 2013 and slipped well down the divisions, representing Barrow, Chorley and North Ferriby United, before getting his big break with Scottish Premiership giants Aberdeen a year ago.
And he’s certainly making up for lost time north of the border. Cosgrove’s remarkable goals-per-game ratio (which currently stands at 0.57) hasn’t gone unnoticed outside of Scotland either with Cittaceleste claiming that the 22-year-old has emerged as a shock target for Serie A giants Lazio.
All roads lead to Rome for a striker from the historic market town of Beverley and Ferguson must be feeling a little bittersweet about his old protégé’s rapid and rather unexpected rise.
Everton have lacked a real presence in attack ever since Romelu Lukaku left in 2017 and their patience could, and perhaps should, have been rewarded with Cosgrove; a natural-born goalscorer dragging rough-and-tumble centre-forward play back into the mainstream.
“Do I think I can get back to those days when I was a boy at Everton? I’d like to think so, as the aspiration is to play at as high a level as I can,” he told the Scottish Sun in April.
“There’s not much higher than playing in the English Premier League, so anyone would want to be part of that. I don’t see why I can’t go on and do that in the future.”
If Cosgrove maintains his remarkable record in Aberdeen red, perhaps we could see him in the famous blue of Everton again one day. Unless Lazio get there first.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
