20 year old midfielder Dan Gosling has left Everton on a free transfer, after rejecting a new deal offered by the club. Everton are not entitled to a fee for the midfielder, so any club interested in the England under 21 star will just have to agree a contract with him.

Everton had thought that Gosling was ready to accept their improved deal, which the club said was a generous one, but Gosling wanted improved chances of first team football and felt that Everton could not offer him that in his preferred role of central midfield. The midfielder made 22 appearances for the Toffees, since joining the club from Plymouth Argyle in January 2008.

Everton are, supposedly, deeply disappointed with Gosling leaving, especially since they have spent four months rehabilitating him from his knee ligament injury suffered against Wolves in the Premier League last season. Newly promoted Newcastle United and West Ham are said to be interested, even though Gosling has four months to go, before he is fit to play football again.

Everton have every right to be frustrated. For one, they lose out on a top class player who, given time and experience, will become a quality midfielder and a potential England international. Also, they receive no money from the move, because Everton chairman Bill Kenwright failed to give an offer in writing in time for the Toffees to go to a tribunal. Dan Gosling was not under contract when he left, so they can’t get the reported £4 million compensation they were expected to receive.

Gosling has been shallow and a spoilt baby in this deal, with his high demands for first team football, despite his age, inexperience in the Premier League and the fact that he has three or four international midfielders vying with him for his midfield place at Everton. Gosling should respect his employers and continue to grow under one of the most impressive managers in the Premier League in David Moyes. Unless Gosling can find a club that can challenge as well as Everton challenge and allow a 20 year old to play regularly in the first team, he will look back on his departure from Goodison Park as a horrible mistake.