Youssef Chermiti Eyes First Goodison Goal

Youssef Chermiti is targeting his first goal for the club at Goodison Park, having overcome a series of injury setbacks to make an impactful substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United.

The Portugal Under-21 international endured a challenging start to the season after a freak training ground incident led to a foot tendon injury requiring surgery. A subsequent thigh strain further delayed his return, but Chermiti finally made his first senior appearance of the campaign in Saturday’s match, entering as a 79th-minute substitute.

The young forward made an immediate impression, with his well-struck shot contributing to Everton’s stoppage-time equaliser against the Hammers. Speaking to evertontv, Chermiti expressed his delight at returning to action: “Of course it’s very nice to be back on the pitch. I’ve been out for a while, so for me to be back out there and be able to play in front of the fans is a very good feeling.”

Chermiti credited the club’s medical staff for supporting him through his recovery, saying, “I feel strong… I’ve been working on my body and I want to thank Carl [Howarth] and everyone from the medical team who has helped me during my time out.”

Now focused on building his match fitness, the striker has set his sights on a maiden Everton goal: “I just want to keep getting involved – keep getting minutes in the bank and try to score my first goal… hopefully at Goodison Park! That’s my goal.”

Chermiti also praised the Everton fans, adding, “I feel the love from the supporters. Every time I play here, I feel that energy and that love from the fans. It’s a great feeling.”

David Moyes was equally impressed with Chermiti’s cameo, telling reporters: “I was impressed with Tim [Iroegbunam] and the two forwards – I thought they came on and gave the team a lift. Youssef got two great shots on target… when you think about how many shots on target can you manage through a game, Youssef managed to get two on target very quickly.”

Moyes admitted he is still learning about Chermiti’s capabilities, noting, “I’m still getting to know [him]… We weren’t sure how long we would play Youssef or Broja – they’ve probably both only got 15-20 minutes in the locker at the moment – but it was needed at the end. The truth is I’ve not really had a chance, and to be fair not many Evertonians have either because he’s been injured just about the whole season.”