Former Arsenal flop, Gervinho, has found the net again in Serie A, taking his tally to six for the season in 14 games, and it was quite the goal.
The goal, which you can watch below, is a world away from the winger who missed a tap in against Bradford for Arsenal all those years ago.
Gervinho putting on the afterburners to finish the Parma counter. So good to see that yellow-and-blue shirt back in Serie A. pic.twitter.com/Gq9uL9zbIG
— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) January 20, 2019
After 18 months in China, Gervinho headed back to Italy in the summer. A £6.3m deal saw him sign for Parma where he already has six goals in 14 appearances.
This is one of them:
Gervinho just scored his version of the George Weah solo goal. The Cagliari defence parted like his hairline pic.twitter.com/lpo2O50n0n
— Mario (@MMLe0) September 22, 2018
Gervinho may not be remembered too fondly by many Arsenal fans, but he marks his time at Arsenal as one when he ‘lived a dream’.
It might be a cruel twist of fate, but Gervinho will always be remembered by Arsenal fans for his horror miss against Bradford back in 2012 when they were losing 1-0 in the League Cup.
In truth, he was a skillful player who just couldn’t get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League. When he was sold to Roma in 2013 for £7m, no tears were shed. At least not by fans.
But the player has revealed that he shed one or two himself when he signed for Arsenal from Lille where he had scored 36 and assisted 20 in 93 games.
“Arsenal are the team that have left the biggest mark on me, without a doubt,” Gervinho told the Guardian. “I lived a dream.
“Any kid who starts playing can’t help but to dream to play at a club like Arsenal. The day I signed I cried. I remember it like it was today: it was in 2011, I told all my family and was jumping for joy. It was a source of great pride to sign with a club like that.
“I didn’t lose my smile from the first to the last match at Arsenal. I remember when I left I wanted to thank everyone, even the dressing-room staff.”
A spell in China that saw Gervinho, by his own admission, earn an obscene amount of money, lasted just 18 months and it looked like his career might be on a permanent downward spiral. “They offered me this sum of money because of my abilities: it can be excessive for some, even for me it is,” Gervinho said back in 2016.
“Earning £47,000 to play just one match is unimaginable in Europe, even at a club like Real Madrid. But here it’s the case.
“They told me ‘this sum of money if you score a goal, this other sum if you aren’t able to score’. Every target reached means one million yuans, around £120,000.
“In one match the team can play for £650,000, £700,000 or even £800,000.”
Now, however, Gervinho is back in Serie A, playing for Parma and he finally feels like he’s found a home.
Gervinho just scored his version of the George Weah solo goal. The Cagliari defence parted like his hairline pic.twitter.com/lpo2O50n0n
— Mario (@MMLe0) September 22, 2018
“I never let myself go,” he said. “In China you have to be in peak form because you need to do well. You earn a lot – I had a huge salary – but then you have to prove you are worth it. Every match is a challenge and I played next to or faced some truly great players.
“[My return to Italy] all started with a phone call from Parma’s sporting director, Daniele Faggiano. We talked and, after a few minutes, we already had a proposal. He was very quick, pragmatic, enthusiastic – he deserves most of the credit. I fell in love with this project immediately.
“It couldn’t be going better,” he added. “When I told people I was going to Parma, a lot of them didn’t think it was a team good enough for Serie A … but instead we are doing great. Avoiding relegation is still our goal but then we will see about realising some significant dreams.”
So does he have any regrets about leaving Arsenal after only 63 games? “Not even one,” he replies emphatically. “You must never forget where you came from. I was born in a tiny place in Ivory Coast, so being a protagonist in this life is a dream. I started playing football in Abidjan, my African town, without even having shoes on my feet.
“I was lucky to go on to have a good life, thanks to my passion. I played in the club of my dreams, Arsenal. I won a league title and a French Cup. I brought the Africa Cup to the people of my country and felt like a hero. I had great champions as teammates and I think I have many years in my career ahead of me. I have no regrets, I just want to enjoy every moment, every action, every shot on goal, because all of a sudden one day it will all end and without football life is sad.
“When I grew up I had to play without boots. In Ivory Coast it’s very hard to have normal shoes, so just imagine football boots – they were considered a true luxury. In the academy where I grew up there were only players with no shoes like me and when I went back a few years ago I played with no shoes next to them.
“But in that academy it became a philosophy. They tell the kids: ‘You play with no shoes on, so you learn how to better control the ball. When you have shoes it will be much easier and you’ll become champions.’ And after many years, after reaching some milestones, you finally get those boots. Joy after suffering, always with a smile. Unforgettable.”