Everton fans may disagree, but in truth Mikel Arteta left at the right time for him and the club

By David Anderson

Published 11:22 05/12/11

• 

The first thing Mikel Arteta did when he joined Arsenal was look up the date of their fixtures against Everton and saw that it was this Saturday.

Like a kid before Christmas, he has been counting down the days to what is sure to be a special and emotional day for the former Blues hero.

I chatted to Arteta at Wigan on Saturday and he was excited about the prospect of seeing so many old friends again at the Emirates.

He spoke glowingly abut Everton, David Moyes, his former team-mates and the fans, and he will never forget the huge boost they gave his career.

But what stood out most from everything he said as he stood in the reception of the DW Stadium was his comment that he "left at the right time for everyone".

Evertonians might disagree with that statement and I'm sure there are plenty of fans who wish he was still at Goodison Park.

But when you analyse it, he's right. It was the right time for him to move on and everyone benefited from the deal.

As good as Arteta was for Everton, his performance levels had started to tail off last season.

He managed just three goals last season and his status as Everton's undisputed playmaker was beginning to wane.

He was also 29 when he left so Everton have had the best of him.

It also made sense for Everton from a money point of view and getting £10million for Arteta and removing his £65,000-a-week salary off their stretched wage bill was a good move for them.

Of course, Everton miss his creativity, but they have an excellent crop of midfielders coming up behind him.

Maroune Fellaini has recently pledged his future to the club and can be just as important to the Blues, while Moyes also has two of the best midfield prospects in the country in Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley.

Moyes' biggest problem over the next year or two will be how to fit them all into his midfield to get the best out of them and they are three exciting players.

So, while Everton fans may be sad at the sight of seeing Arteta line up against them in a red and white shirt, they should remember everything he did for them in his six years at Goodison - and the £8million profit they made on him after getting his best years.

Fancy winning £3,000 for FREE this month? Play Mirror Football Streak for your chance to win cash prizes! Start predicting now!