Well, that's the end of the fairytale that never was. Eduardo Da Silva has left North London for pastures new, signing for Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk. He didn't want to leave Arsenal, Arsene Wenger didn't want him to move, the fans didn't want him to leave, but that's life.
Each and every Arsenal fan will only remember him fondly, and wish him nothing but the best for the rest of his footballing career, which could very well have blossomed in England under different circumstances.
In three years at the club, the Croatian scored 20 goals, and didn't really nail down a starting spot before or after injury, but his Arsenal story wasn't about numbers or performances. It was emotional, heart-wrenching, and at the end of it, quite tragic.
He came to England when he wasn't really a known name, but had quite a reputation in the Croatian league, where he starred for Dinamo Zagreb. Not the tallest or strongest, Eddy was a throwback to the old days, with regards to his abilities as a striker.
He was a classic 'poacher', an old-school footballer, one not relying on physical attributes to perform on the pitch. In many ways, he was one of the most 'natural' footballers you would see in the overly-professional business that is club football today.
Possessing a lethal left foot and the ability to make time stop when in front of goal, he began scoring for fun towards the end of 2007, and racked up 12 goals, all of them very well taken, until that fateful day at St.Andrew's.
Not much is left to be said about that game, the tackle, or the British media's reaction. The fact remains, that Martin 'Not-that-kind-of-player' Taylor's horror tackle put the brakes on Eddy's fledgling career, the scars of which will probably never vacate his mind.
The media's reaction was shameful and chauvinistic in its own way, in essence blaming Arsene Wenger and Arsenal for not being 'man enough' for the oft-glorified physical element of the Premier League. Eduardo missed roughly 9 months of football, and was never to be the same again.
Seeing him back on the pitch was like witnessing a fairytale in itself, especially after he scored twice in his comeback game. However, persistent niggles and minor injuries hampered the rest of his Arsenal career, as did the witch-hunt conducted by the Scottish federation and UEFA after his dive inside the penalty area against Celtic.
Okay, he dived. Who doesn't? Never a word is written in print about Spain's very own ballerina Andres Iniesta, neither are Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Busquets and so many more even criticized! It was a blatant case of the media venting their feelings about Arsenal's foreign contingent, and it made Eddy's stay in London that much more agonizing.
This post really isn't about me having a rant. After a poor last season where he could neither find peak form or fitness, he is now off to Donetsk where he can start from scratch, and hopefully put his life in England behind him. His personal message to the Arsenal fans was one the most genuine and honest statements I've seen a footballer make in recent times. It spoke volumes of him as a person.
On a personal level, Eduardo was a player I (like most other Arsenal fans) had an emotional connect with. There are three reasons I can think of immediately, apart from the incident at Birmingham.
One, he was a wonderful little player. No Henry-esque pace, not the technical brilliance of Bergkamp, no bull-like strength like The Drog, but just a regular guy who loves football, and is a natural at putting the ball past the keeper.
Two, he signed for Arsenal on July 3rd, 2007, which was my 20th birthday. It was just another reason for me to be fond of him, hoping that the date would bring him and Arsenal some good luck. Sadly, it's ended in a case of "If only..".
And three, my first ever blog post was the day he suffered that leg break at Birmingham. I always knew I wanted to write, but on that day, I was moved and affected enough to start.
Thank you Eddy, for being the footballer and person you are. You will be an Arsenal legend for Gooners all over the world. None of us will forget you, or your story.
You will always be Arsenal to each one of us. Cheerio!
