ToxtethBlue
Player Valuation: £50m
New Everton powerhouse Marouane Fellaini who some predict will be the next Patrick Vieira - Everton Banter - Join the debate with EFC fans, staff writers and club legends
BELGIUM based sports journalist JOHN CHAPMAN has been following Marouane Fellaini's career closely for several years. He explains what the Blues are getting for the record fee they have paid to Standard Liege - and predicts a big future for the powerful youngster
WHEN Everton's new signing Marouane Fellaini was 15, a scout from Belgian first division club Sporting Charleroi told his father that his son could become a second Patrick Vieira.
Fellaini subsequently joined Charleroi but, two years later, his father Abdellatif felt the prediction was extremely unlikely to be fulfilled.
That's when Standard Liege came knocking on the Fellaini family's door and Marouane's career moved into the fast lane.
Abdellatif Fellaini has certainly been a major factor in his son's rise.
A footballer in his own right, in goal for Raja Casablanca, Fellaini Snr. left Morocco for Belgium when he felt promises had not been kept in regard to his own footballing prospects.
At the time of Marouane's birth, in 1987, his father was working as a bus driver in Brussels.
Although he did play in the Belgian second division, Abdellatif could not focus on football for financial reasons.
His attention switched to his son, to the extent that Fellaini Snr. later took early retirement to oversee his son's career.
With his father insisting on his son keeping fit, Marouane remembers running to school while his friends cycled, took the bus or were driven by their parents.
Although Marouane was often seen kicking a ball, Abdellatif insisted that his son did not neglect his studies.
In this there is a parallel with recent Manchester City signing and fellow Belgian international Vincent Kompany, whose father was also a major figure behind the scenes.
Indeed, both the Belgian internationals are imposing figures that show maturity beyond their years.
After some months in the Standard Liege reserves, Fellaini found himself in the first team at the age of 19, coming on as a substitute against Charleroi.
Liege's coach at the time was ex-Stoke City boss Johan Boskamp and Fellaini was lucky to be spotted as Boskamp's reign lasted for just five league games! Nevertheless, Fellaini did enough to impress the next man in charge, former Belgian international keeper Michel Preud'homme.
Just six months after his league debut, Fellaini was in the Belgian national team.
He had a choice to make in terms of which team he would represent as he was born in Brussels of Moroccan parents.
He did play for the Moroccan Under-21s but as he had lived all of his life in Belgium, the decision was taken for him to take his chance with his home country.
To date he has played 10 international matches as well as appearing in the last Olympic Games.
His Olympic sojourn was not particularly successful.
Standard Liege insisted Fellaini return from China after Belgium's opening match with Brazil so he could face Liverpool in the Champions League qualifier. Fellaini played - and was shown a red card.
Fellaini can indeed be impulsive - and when he first played for Liege he had the habit of following the ball without giving too much thought to positional play.
That's improved now and Everton will be getting a player who shows a commanding presence in both penalty areas.
At 6' 4", Fellaini does not have the typical physique of a box-to-box midfielder - but that's what he aims to be. Strong in the tackle, he's two-footed with excellent aerial ability.
Fellaini is also a strong personality.
In 2007, less than a year after his debut, Fellaini threatened to leave Liege by invoking a contractual loophole unless he got a significant increase in salary.
Fellaini won his argument and signed a new contract which would have kept him in Liege until 2012.
To win any financial argument at Standard Liege is impressive as the man running affairs is no less than Luciano d'Onofrio - ex players' agent and the one behind Zinedine Zidane's first move from Bordeaux to Juventus.
Currently vice-chairman of Standard Liege, d'Onofrio has invested many millions of euros in the Belgian club and the transfer of Fellaini must have brought him great satisfaction.
It came at a cost, however, as the club has undermined its championship credentials by releasing a young player who was the team's engine when it won its first Belgian championship for 25 years.
Among the plethora of scouts that found their way to Liege, there have been a number of major clubs, including Monaco, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Arsenal, Seville, Spurs and Manchester United.
Everton had put in a bid for him last March, but that was firmly rejected.
However, when Everton upped the ante to £15 million, there was only going to be one answer from d'Onofrio, as that sum was equal to 80% of the club's annual budget.
Ex Bastia captain Paul Marchioni, currently scouting for Monaco, says that Fellaini is made for the Premiership - he wins the midfield battles - he isn't afraid and he loves to be fully involved in the game.
On leaving Liege, Fellaini said that he was glad to be leaving as Belgian football did not suit him. He feels that referees have frequently booked him without reason and he looks forward to more leniency in the Premiership.
Certainly Fellaini feels he has been badly treated in Belgium. Although he's relatively new on the scene, it's acknowledged that Marouane has been the top player in the Belgian league in the past 12 months. He was thought to be a certainty to be named Player's Player of the Year last July but the award went to Liege colleague Milan Jovanovic.
The Serb has been trying to engineer a transfer since but the rebuke rankled Fellaini and he's now filled Liege's coffers.
Fellaini's transfer fee is both the highest amount ever paid for a Belgian player - almost twice that paid for Daniel Van Buyten (Liege to Marseilles) and Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht to Hamburg) - and the highest fee paid by Everton.
In truth, it's probably too much for a 20-year old with just two seasons of first team football under his belt. However, Fellaini is talented, mature and ambitious.
The family's sights are set high for Fellaini and the move to Everton a key chance for him.
A few successful seasons at Goodison could see Fellaini fulfilling that prediction that he is destined to be the new Vieira.
BELGIUM based sports journalist JOHN CHAPMAN has been following Marouane Fellaini's career closely for several years. He explains what the Blues are getting for the record fee they have paid to Standard Liege - and predicts a big future for the powerful youngster
WHEN Everton's new signing Marouane Fellaini was 15, a scout from Belgian first division club Sporting Charleroi told his father that his son could become a second Patrick Vieira.
Fellaini subsequently joined Charleroi but, two years later, his father Abdellatif felt the prediction was extremely unlikely to be fulfilled.
That's when Standard Liege came knocking on the Fellaini family's door and Marouane's career moved into the fast lane.
Abdellatif Fellaini has certainly been a major factor in his son's rise.
A footballer in his own right, in goal for Raja Casablanca, Fellaini Snr. left Morocco for Belgium when he felt promises had not been kept in regard to his own footballing prospects.
At the time of Marouane's birth, in 1987, his father was working as a bus driver in Brussels.
Although he did play in the Belgian second division, Abdellatif could not focus on football for financial reasons.
His attention switched to his son, to the extent that Fellaini Snr. later took early retirement to oversee his son's career.
With his father insisting on his son keeping fit, Marouane remembers running to school while his friends cycled, took the bus or were driven by their parents.
Although Marouane was often seen kicking a ball, Abdellatif insisted that his son did not neglect his studies.
In this there is a parallel with recent Manchester City signing and fellow Belgian international Vincent Kompany, whose father was also a major figure behind the scenes.
Indeed, both the Belgian internationals are imposing figures that show maturity beyond their years.
After some months in the Standard Liege reserves, Fellaini found himself in the first team at the age of 19, coming on as a substitute against Charleroi.
Liege's coach at the time was ex-Stoke City boss Johan Boskamp and Fellaini was lucky to be spotted as Boskamp's reign lasted for just five league games! Nevertheless, Fellaini did enough to impress the next man in charge, former Belgian international keeper Michel Preud'homme.
Just six months after his league debut, Fellaini was in the Belgian national team.
He had a choice to make in terms of which team he would represent as he was born in Brussels of Moroccan parents.
He did play for the Moroccan Under-21s but as he had lived all of his life in Belgium, the decision was taken for him to take his chance with his home country.
To date he has played 10 international matches as well as appearing in the last Olympic Games.
His Olympic sojourn was not particularly successful.
Standard Liege insisted Fellaini return from China after Belgium's opening match with Brazil so he could face Liverpool in the Champions League qualifier. Fellaini played - and was shown a red card.
Fellaini can indeed be impulsive - and when he first played for Liege he had the habit of following the ball without giving too much thought to positional play.
That's improved now and Everton will be getting a player who shows a commanding presence in both penalty areas.
At 6' 4", Fellaini does not have the typical physique of a box-to-box midfielder - but that's what he aims to be. Strong in the tackle, he's two-footed with excellent aerial ability.
Fellaini is also a strong personality.
In 2007, less than a year after his debut, Fellaini threatened to leave Liege by invoking a contractual loophole unless he got a significant increase in salary.
Fellaini won his argument and signed a new contract which would have kept him in Liege until 2012.
To win any financial argument at Standard Liege is impressive as the man running affairs is no less than Luciano d'Onofrio - ex players' agent and the one behind Zinedine Zidane's first move from Bordeaux to Juventus.
Currently vice-chairman of Standard Liege, d'Onofrio has invested many millions of euros in the Belgian club and the transfer of Fellaini must have brought him great satisfaction.
It came at a cost, however, as the club has undermined its championship credentials by releasing a young player who was the team's engine when it won its first Belgian championship for 25 years.
Among the plethora of scouts that found their way to Liege, there have been a number of major clubs, including Monaco, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Arsenal, Seville, Spurs and Manchester United.
Everton had put in a bid for him last March, but that was firmly rejected.
However, when Everton upped the ante to £15 million, there was only going to be one answer from d'Onofrio, as that sum was equal to 80% of the club's annual budget.
Ex Bastia captain Paul Marchioni, currently scouting for Monaco, says that Fellaini is made for the Premiership - he wins the midfield battles - he isn't afraid and he loves to be fully involved in the game.
On leaving Liege, Fellaini said that he was glad to be leaving as Belgian football did not suit him. He feels that referees have frequently booked him without reason and he looks forward to more leniency in the Premiership.
Certainly Fellaini feels he has been badly treated in Belgium. Although he's relatively new on the scene, it's acknowledged that Marouane has been the top player in the Belgian league in the past 12 months. He was thought to be a certainty to be named Player's Player of the Year last July but the award went to Liege colleague Milan Jovanovic.
The Serb has been trying to engineer a transfer since but the rebuke rankled Fellaini and he's now filled Liege's coffers.
Fellaini's transfer fee is both the highest amount ever paid for a Belgian player - almost twice that paid for Daniel Van Buyten (Liege to Marseilles) and Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht to Hamburg) - and the highest fee paid by Everton.
In truth, it's probably too much for a 20-year old with just two seasons of first team football under his belt. However, Fellaini is talented, mature and ambitious.
The family's sights are set high for Fellaini and the move to Everton a key chance for him.
A few successful seasons at Goodison could see Fellaini fulfilling that prediction that he is destined to be the new Vieira.
