Aaron Lennon sported a beaming smile when he re-signed for Everton on a permanent basis after what many took to be an underwhelmed expression on penning his original loan deal but his time at Goodison Park taught us all that being a Premier League football is not always the dream job we think it is.
Lennon, who today announced his retirement from the game aged 35, said: “I’ve loved every minute of it” and “it has been an absolute pleasure”, enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career while with Everton but also went on to receive care and treatment for a stress-related illness after being detained under the Mental Health Act over concerns for his welfare during his time at the Blues.
Lennon played for 19 seasons in senior football and other than a single campaign in the Championship with his home city club Leeds United after relegation and a year in Turkey with Kayserispor during the pandemic in between his Burnley spells, they were all in the English top flight. First spotted by scouts when he was just eight years old, Lennon became the youngest player to have a boot sponsorship deal when he signed to Adidas at 14.
