Luke Garbutt has explained how Ipswich Town’s sale of Tyrone Mings in 2015 has inadvertently led to the end of his Everton career.
Garbutt, currently on loan at Ipswich from the Toffees, is out of contract at Goodison in the summer and appears certain to be released.
He’s spent much of his time at the Premier League club out on loan, notably at Fulham and Oxford, but admitted he should have spent the 2015/16 season in the Premier League at Bournemouth, only for the Cherries to sign Mings from Ipswich at the 11th hour.
He instead went on loan to Fulham as he pushed to kickstart his career and force his way into the Everton side, but hasn’t played a competitive game for his parent club since.
MORE: ‘We should see a reversal of the power balance’ - Lambert believes virus could change football for good“I felt it was the right time to go and play first-team football,” Garbutt said in an interview with The Athletic. “I didn’t feel I was getting as many opportunities to play with Leighton (Baines) being so good. Looking back at it, I may have been a bit too forceful in trying to set off my career.
“It was difficult because I had a loan in the Premier League sorted and it got curtailed at the last minute, so I went to Fulham. Bournemouth had flown out to see me while I was with England Under-21s at the World Cup, I’d signed my contract and then at the 11th hour they went and signed someone (Mings) permanently. It was strange because I’d spoken to Eddie Howe and everything was agreed. It was tough to take.
MORE: Garbutt on his ‘complicated’ future, whether he’ll end the season at Ipswich and a permanent Town move“I got injured early on at Fulham and none of it went to plan. You recover and get back in the team, but you don’t do as well as you’d thought. Then you’re out of the team and you dip in confidence and start doubting yourself.
“That was the tipping point for my Everton career. It was a downwards spiral from there.”
Garbutt, who recently admitted his future beyond his Everton contract on June 30 is ‘complicated’, has regular stated he would be interested in a permanent move to Portman Road.
He has scored six goals in 30 appearances for the club.
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