Everton, despite being one of the biggest clubs in English football history, have been grossly mistreated by some players in recent years.
It is as if, due to decades of inactivity on the trophy-winning front, all their prior successes that came before have been expunged.
It does make some sense, given this latest generation of players grew up without the Toffees as a European powerhouse, but their parents will have seen Everton win league titles and lift a European cup.
That counts for something.
So, to see Romelu Lukaku badmouth the club whilst on international duty with regularity back in the day, was a sad sight.
However, it’s even worse to watch Amadou Onana now doing it.
Amadou Onana touts summer move from Everton
Having been selected for Belgium’s squad for the upcoming Euros, he seems to have been handed a fresh influx of confidence.
It is worth remembering that Everton’s best run, late on in the season which secured their Premier League safety, came when he started on the bench.
Regardless, the £33m midfielder has ambitions of leaving the club soon, and would voice his aspirations to HLN.
He noted: ‘‘At previous tournaments you have seen that the players who did well make the step up to the top clubs. That’s something I strive for. feel like presenting myself to the European top and showing what I have to offer. This European Championship is a stage.’
Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Amadou Onana, among others.
Amadou Onana follows in Romelu Lukaku’s footsteps
What is it about Belgians going out on international duty and badmouthing Everton?
‘I’m at a point where I have to make a good career choice,’ Lukaku said in 2016. ‘We have a new investor at Everton and out of courtesy I will listen to what he has to say. But I have my own ideas in mind. I want to win titles.
‘I have had a very good season, but it is time for me to write myself a CV. That is why I play football. I got that trophy-winning mindset from Chelsea.’
Having gone on to win a grand total of one league title since departing, the Serie A, it has not quite gone as planned. And yet, Onana is keen to follow in his footsteps.
The only difference is, he is not nearly as important to the Toffees as the 31-year-old striker was, who scored 87 goals in just 166 games before leaving for Manchester United in a mouth-watering £75m move.
He came, proved his worth, then left for a bigger club. Yes, the way he engineered his move was somewhat disingenuous, but few could fault his ambition.
Onana, however, is yet to prove anything close to the £60m price tag being reported in the media, and whilst he flatters to deceive, never really produces anything tangible at all for Everton.
He is a silky midfielder enforcer who could well thrive elsewhere, but his inevitable exit, which he is seemingly desperate to engineer, will not hurt the club even half as much as Lukaku’s sale did.