There are some footballers who devote their entire careers to just one club and as such become attached to the supporters and the local area, such as Jamie Carragher at Liverpool and Gary Neville with Manchester United. Then there are those who perhaps move one or two times during their career, seeking out a new challenge at an opportune time but essentially being well respected by their peers as they do so, such as Frank Lampard. At the other extreme would lie the talented but seemingly nomadic Samuel Eto'o, who has this week completed yet another switch in his footballing allegiances, as he departs from Everton to join Italian Serie A side Sampdoria.
Eto'o has seemingly been on a mission in recent years to enhance his Wikipedia entry to epic proportions and his curriculum vitae must be tricky to trim down to just two pages, given the experience he can now boast from his various employers.
His latest move is rumoured to commit his future to the Italian side until 2018, after he passed a medical last Sunday, an interestingly long deal given that he is already 33 years of age. He leaves Everton after only joining them on a free transfer in August 2014, scoring a meagre four goals in twenty appearances. Roberto Martinez was quick to thank him for his 'knowledge-transfer' exercise with the youngsters during his time at the club, a pre-requisite whenever someone leaves a job for a new venture these days in any profession.
It will be the second spell in Italy for the four-time African Footballer of the Year, who scored 25 Serie A goals during his previous time there with Inter Milan, during a two-year stint with them from July 2009 to 2011. While in their ranks he bagged a Champions League winning medal and the Seria A league title.
Before joining Everton, he had played for Roman Abramovich's cosmopolitan Chelsea side and netted 12 goals in 35 appearances for the Blues last season, after signing a one-year deal from the Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala.
He played for the Russian side during three campaigns.
Eto'o began his senior career with the mighty Real Madrid back in 1997 when he was just a teenager, although they loaned him out three times in his formative years to Leganes, Espanyol and Mallorca, before a permanent deal was struck with Mallorca in 2000. Following an impressive spell with the Spanish club (including winning the Spanish cup), he moved on to the Catalan giants Barcelona in 2004 and enjoyed perhaps his best years there (two Champions League successes and three league titles, among other honours).
Another big money move to Inter saw him depart Spain for pastures (and cultures) new in 2009. It seems that he has decided that the time is right once more for a return to Serie A.