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Summary Eto'o signed a three-year multi-million euro deal with the ambitious club from war-torn Dagestan.
Cameroon football star Samuel Etoo admitted to being pleasantly surprised by the huge welcome he was given in Makhachkala a day ahead of making his debut for big-spending Russian Premier League club Anzhi.Former four-time African footballer of the year Etoo signed a three-year multi-million euro deal with the ambitious club from war-torn Dagestan after being lured from Italian giants Inter Milan last month.While his new teammates took part in an open training session -- around 5000 people turned up to get a glimpse of the African star -- Etoo reiterated earlier claims that he could not be more serious about what is being regarded as a surprise career move.Im a citizen of the world, said Etoo.I left Cameroon with a unique dream: to become a footballer.Right now, the only thing that concerns me is being happy wherever I am, and with this kind of welcome how could I not be happy?Ive never been here, but I want to say that Im pleasantly surprised.Etoos arrival has coincided with one of the worst sporting disasters in Russian history. Earlier this week almost the entire squad of three-timeRussian ice-hockey champions Lokomotiv Yaroslavl were among 43 fatalities of a plane crash.The African was among those who respected a minutes silence to the victims of the tragedy.Among the fans who turned out to catch a glimpse of the African star was 28-year-old Cameroonian Marie, who is studying tourism in the city. Likemany, she cant quite believe one of the worlds best known strikers will play for the local club.Its a miracle that such a big name player has come to a place like this, she said.Thanks to a deal which will see him earn 20.5 million euros a year Etoo, 30, is set to become the best paid footballer in the world.The sports top stars such as Real Madrids Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelonas Lionel Messi are both reported to be on salaries of less than $20 million per year.
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