Jelavic insists: I didn't dessert Rangers

Everton new boy Nikica Jelavic insists his ‘dream move’ to the Premier League can take him to Euro 2012 glory.

But despite the Croatia striker revealing that his national team boss Slaven Bilic – himself a former Everton player – thinks the transfer can only be good for him, Jelavic insisted he didn’t force his deadline-day switch from Scottish giants Rangers.

The centre-forward has been at the centre of a huge controversy in Scotland, with Rangers chairman Craig Whyte indicating that the player’s desire to leave drove the £5million transfer.

But, after meeting up with his new team-mates on Thursday, the 26-year-old insisted: “I never met Craig Whyte. I have never spoken with him.

"Why am I the bad guy? I’ve done my job for Rangers, I think, with two trophies and many goals.

“It was a beautiful 18 months and I won’t speak against Rangers because of one man. Rangers will always have a special place in my heart.

“Let me clear something up - I never said, 'I am desperate to leave' or 'I want to leave.' It is strange to hear this.

"Two clubs made an agreement and that is it. What can I do without the clubs’ agreement? Nothing.”

Jelavic's version is that he explained he was happy to move if Rangers wanted to cash in on him, because Bilic made a compelling argument about the quality of Everton as a club.

The striker is a big fan of the Premier League after living on a diet of it as a kid, and he made clear that if anything was going to persuade him to leave Ibrox, then it was a chance to test himself at the highest level - and to prove himself as a top quality striker before the summer's Euros.

“I think, of course, playing for Everton in the Premier League will help my international chances," added Jelavic. "I spoke to Slaven Bilic on the phone and he is very happy.

“I know he played at Everton for three seasons and we will have another chat in a few weeks, on international duty.

"For the past two and a half years I have been involved in the national squad all the time but if I can score some goals in this league it will help me more to fix my place in the first XI.

“My dream is to play here because I think the English Premier League is the best league and I want to prove to myself that I can be part of this league.”

Rangers, however, insist that the player made it clear he wanted to quit Ibrox.

Chief operations officer Ali Russell commented: "Nikica told [manager] Ally McCoist personally on Monday he wanted to move to the English Premier League so to suggest he didn't want to leave Rangers is nonsense.

"Nikica was a terrific player for Rangers and we wish him well at Everton but to suggest he was forced to leave Ibrox is just ridiculous."

Jelavic wasn’t the only Everton signing on deadline day, and wasn’t the only player to turn down the chance of a title medal to go to Goodison either, with Steven Pienaar foregoing the chance of a tilt at the top spot with Spurs.

The South African, who admitted returning to Merseyside on loan from the Londoners was like coming home, insisted that even the excitement of battling it out at head of the Premier League wasn’t enough to make him stay at White Hart Lane if he wasn’t actually playing.

“Spurs have got a real shot at the title, but if you don’t play more than 10 games you don’t get a medal so that may have played a big part for me,” he explained.

“I wanted to play football and to get the odd game for 10 minutes wasn’t going to help me. I don’t regret going to Spurs, because I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could hold down a place with the quality players they have there. But I’m not getting any younger and I need to play.”

Pienaar returns to Everton admitting that some fans may still be angry he walked out on them, but he plans to win them back over by quickly hitting his stride and leading them to a Europa League place.

“One moment you play for a club and everyone is supporting you. The next you walk out. It is like walking out of your child’s life so, to get that acceptance back, you have to work and show them that you do deserve to be forgiven,” he said.

“Hopefully the guys will go on and win the FA Cup. The supporters need something to cheer them up and hopefully they can also get into Europe.”