Following his release from Everton at the beginning of the month, Hope Akpan has quickly found a new club in the shape of Crawley Town, who have just been promoted to the Football League.Akpan only featured once for Everton but spent time on loan at Hull City towards the end of last season, and is believed to have received offers from many Football League clubs including League 1 side Chesterfield.
Shortly after completing the signing, Crawley boss Steve Evans said "Hope is a talented lad and I am delighted he has joined us.
"It would be fair to say he had many offers from Football League clubs, Championship down to League 2, to consider but I have kept in regular touch with him since we met and gently helped persuade him day by day towards our direction.
"I watched him play several times last season for Everton reserves, indeed I tried to get him on loan but David Moyes said no to me and a few other interested managers also. I made sure we as a management team monitored him thereafter and the report from his performance when he played for Hull City against QPR towards the end of the season made my decision very clear, we should try and sign him if we could.
"Being honest I did not really fancy my chances of getting the lad here but if you don't try then you would never know and we got him.
"He is a big lad who can be aggressive and strong but he is a footballer. He has a good range of passing and a terrific work ethic, he is young and I think he can become a big player for us. We must not forget that he is a youngster, although he is very much joining us to play.
"Last night I spoke at length with the Everton manager David Moyes and he gave him a glowing reference in every aspect. Indeed, he told me it was an agonising decision whether he kept the lad at Everton. Hope will have the right attitude towards his football especially having been under the leadership of David and I have no doubt that if that was not the case I would have been advised, but the lad's reference was glowing.
"The Everton manager and myself go back a long way together so I knew when he told me Hope could be a big player for us I had to move on it quickly as I knew the lad would be sought after, indeed he has been but we have got the player despite that interest in him."
The player himself also spoke to Crawley's website, saying "Crawley Town are a very ambitious club and that was important to me. I had several offers put to me, many much better financially than what I have actually signed for but the gaffer here showed he wanted me to be a part of what he is building here and that was very important to me.
"I need to play first team football first before everything and also have a manager who believes in me. I spoke with the gaffer at Everton at length befoer I made my decision, he also thought Crawley Town could be the right choice. I know competition for a place in the team will be tough but I am looking forward to the challenge."
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