The story of Denis Stracqualursi and Everton is one that developed into a love affair.
A return of three goals in 28 appearances is hardly the stuff of legend but the ever-ready and willing Argentine striker endeared himself to the Goodison masses.
Stracqualursi had clear limitations, and was never going to last beyond his season-long loan deal from Tigres, but his rabid work-rate meant he was always going to be admired.
And boy, did he work hard.
Transfer funds were excruciatingly low for David Moyes in the summer of 2011 but following the sale of Jermaine Beckford to Leicester City, and the impending departure of Yakubu, the Everton boss needed to bring in a striker.
Nikica Jelavic was still six months away from being available to Moyes and so, with deadline day taking its final few breaths, Everton announced they’d pushed a deal over the line.
Well, two actually.
One was for the loan of mercurial Real Madrid winger Royston Drenthe while the other was for a 23-year-old striker from Argentina that not many people had heard of.
Stracqualursi, 6’3” and cutting a brooding look as he posed at Finch Farm for a hastily taken picture to accompany his signing, had scored 22 goals in 35 games in the previous season in Argentina’s top flight.
A move to champions Velez Sarsfield broke down. Leicester City are said to have passed up the chance to sign him. Everton capitalised.
“He came with a bit of a reputation,” remembers Leon Osman.
“He had scored goals in Argentina and done quite well but it didn’t take long for him to realise that the standard in the Premier League was pretty good.
“Denis was a little bit off it, should you say, but he continuously put it in during training and matches when some people could have gone within themselves or sulked.
“When you bring in a young lad from Argentina, he’s come half way around the world and doesn’t speak the language, it’s a big ask for anyone.
“It took him a little bit of time to settle into the dressing room, he was round the outside a little, but he started to grow into the squad.”
Moyes, who had deliberated and deliberated until he could deliberate no more, plumped for Stracqualursi over the other strikers on his list of the affordables.
But he even admitted that his signing, albeit on loan, represented a gamble.
“He has a good goal-scoring record in Argentina but I’m not sure yet, we’ll find out in time,” Moyes said,in typically understated fashion.
“There weren’t an awful lot of centre-forwards out there we could get and he became available to us at the last minute.
“In the end it was nearly worth the gamble to see how he does. We’ve done it before with loan signings; some have worked and some haven’t.”
Everton had been watching him since 2010 and are understood to have sent scouts to South America in April 2011 to make assessments in the flesh.
He signed in the last throes of deadline day, as Beckford and Yakubu left, and made his debut on September 17 against Wigan.
Stracqualursi came off the bench and laid on the assist for Everton’s third, scored by Drenthe.
“He didn’t speak a word of English when he arrived and he was struggling a little bit,” Osman added.
“But I will always think fondly of him because he always gave everything he had in training and in games.
“He maximised what he had and that’s why Evertonians took to him.
“You want the best players to play for your club, the players who light up the league but if he is a player who gives 110% every week then supporters will take to you.”
It took until late January and the FA Cup fourth round tie at home to Fulham before the burly striker scored his first Everton goal.
Stracqualursi’s header levelled the game before Marouane Fellaini sealed the Blues’ passage to the fifth round and for the Argentine forward known as ‘El Traca’ - firecracker - is sparked his best run of form.
The loanee would score three times in five games during January and February (Jelavic had signed but was sidelined with a stomach injury) including the second in a memorable win over Chelsea at Goodison.
Stracqualursi’s goal in front of the Gwladys Street had Moyes jumping for joy. Literally.
Afterwards, Moyes even hinted that Everton may explore the possibility of signing him permanently
“I remembering hearing ‘we’ve signed an Argentinean striker’” Osman said, recalling deadline day.
“The next thing we were on YouTube looking up his goals and to see who he was.
“He wasn’t as bad as everyone thought he was, he was decent enough. He was a big lad who was strong and who could jump and he gave us his all every week.
“You saw how much he enjoyed the goals he did score.
“We were struggling that season for players because Jermaine Beckford had left and he came in a did a job for us, manfully for the time we needed.
“I have nothing but nice memories of him.”
In July 2012, Stracqualursi was allowed to leave Tigres for San Lorenzo on a free transfer before he spent a season in Ecuador and another in Abu Dhabi.
The summer of 2015 saw him return to his homeland with Lanus followed by a second stint at Elemec and then a move to Colombia with Sante Fe.
A journeyman striker in every sense but at Everton, at least, a cult hero as well.
“He’s got an iron lung, I know that!” Moyes said.
“I think Denis changed everybody’s mind about him.”
