Everton striker Beto says he thrives on criticism and needs “haters” to motivate him, despite struggling in his first season in England.
The 26-year-old joined from Udinese for £25 million last summer, having scored 10 goals for the Serie A side the previous season. Despite a dream debut, netting against Doncaster in the Carabao Cup, Beto only scored four more goals throughout the season.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Beto acknowledged the impact of social media criticism on his performance. “Football is simple,” he said. “Not everybody in this life is going to love you and not everybody in this life is going to hate you. For me, it’s OK.”
Beto admits he takes negative comments personally, using them as motivation to improve. “Sometimes I like to read my comments when I played badly or missed chances,” he said. “I say ‘OK, I will make this guy shut his mouth.’ When I’m in training the next week or the next day, I remember it and I say ‘No, this guy is not going to say this about me any more’ and I keep going.”
Despite featuring in 37 games in all competitions, Beto was mostly used as an impact substitute, with 27 appearances from the bench. He believes competition and criticism are essential for his growth. “When it is football I take it really seriously. Competition is different. You need to always be alert.”
Beto’s journey from working part-time at a fast-food restaurant while playing for Portuguese regional side Uniao Tires to joining Everton has been remarkable. He keeps notes and screenshots of negative comments to fuel his drive. “I have notes. I have screenshots from Facebook, YouTube – when they say something like I’m not good enough or something like that. I say OK, I take a screenshot, I put it on my notes and I read it.”
Last season, Everton, led by Sean Dyche, managed to stay clear of the relegation zone by 14 points despite two separate deductions totaling eight points. Beto impressed during Everton’s pre-season training camp in Ireland and featured in a 3-3 draw against Sligo Rovers.
Reflecting on his adjustment from Italy to England, Beto said, “It was really tough. I don’t think I adjusted well. Now I know the Premier League and what I can do to get better, to create more chances and help the team score more goals.”