LA Galaxy attacker Landon Donovan admits he would've signed permanently for Everton if not for his ties with the MLS club.
The American forward spent two successful loan periods with the Blues in 2010 and 2012 and became a fans' favourite at Goodison Park.
Donovan, who has announced his retirement, explained: "I'm a very loyal person. I had promised Tim [Leiweke, the former executive with A.E.G., which owns the Galaxy] when he was here and Bruce [Arena, the head coach] that I would come back, in exchange for letting me go there.
"And although things changed and they wanted me to stay, and there was a lot of potential talking to be done, immediately I said, 'Thank you, but I promised that I would come back, and I want to go back.'"
On Everton, Donovan also told the New York Times: "The culture, it's tough, but there are Americans who have done well. I wasn't ready for it certainly when I was younger. The timing was right because I was playing probably at my best.
"David Moyes understood that club very well.
"He understood the dynamics of the fan base and how it all works, and what they like.
"And he was always very astute with his signings and he had to be because he didn't have the money that the top clubs had.
"He watched me a lot.
"He was aware of what I did as a player and he knew that I would fit in. So all of that made for a really easy transition."
