Less than a year later, in April last year, Lamia had to wait for the team from Super League 2 to play two playoff games to save the category. The opponent (Veroia) has not yet been announced, but what is certain is that whoever he was, Apostolos Vellios did not count in these decisive games.

The 31-year-old striker arrived in January from Italy’s Ascoli with the prospect of helping Lamiates score points and instead played just nine games, three of which were starts. Target; Nobody. And it didn’t take long to come to a conclusion about… the old man.

“He fights not only with the goal, but with the ball itself,” was one of the comments he was told, and when he found out about it, he was sent off an hour early.

After 15 years of travel in Greece (Iraklis, Atromitos, Lamia) and abroad (Everton, Blackpool, Lears, West Zealand, Nottingham Forest, Beveren, Askoli, Klinzeny) with bigger awards, his move from Iraklis to Everton in 2011 . Thessaloniki had to find a hospitable station in order not to end their football career.

As it turned out, he made the right choice by choosing the Netherlands, beloved by Greek football players. He has signed a one-year contract with Second Division FC Zvole and is leading his team to promotion with his goals.

Zvole is in first with 60 points, three more than Hercules, and in the last game against Den Bosch, the team and Vellios “broke” the scoreboard. The scoreboard recorded a victory with a score of 13:0, the Greek striker scored four times, scoring 10 goals and giving 6 assists.

The hat-trick was done in just 11 minutes and 22 seconds (2 minutes, 4 minutes, 12 minutes) and was the fastest in the history of the Dutch second division since the start of the race, while in the 27th he scored 6–0 and his fourth own goal.

Apostolos Vellios scores a hat-trick in 1️⃣2️⃣ minutes! 😰

⚽️ 2′
⚽️ 4′
⚽️ 12′#PEKDBO pic.twitter.com/EYp0MJuOCH

— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) March 3, 2023

The news certainly didn’t take long to break through at Liverpool, where Everton fans who are fighting to stay in the Premier League remember and miss the Greek striker.

After all, it was they who, at the age of 20, voted him the club’s best young player in 2012 in a vote organized by the club’s supporters’ association across England.

Greek magic 🇬🇷🦂#petzvolle #pecdbo pic.twitter.com/vej68IDKYY

— PEC Zwolle (@PECZwolle) March 4, 2023

“We can bring him back! Vellios scored four goals in the first half”, “our Apostolis scored four goals in the Dutch championship and became a hero”, these were the comments of the “candy” fans on social networks … for now it is better not to talk about the followers of Hercules.

“For three years we saw 4 goals when he started in Iraklis. Today he set them to 27 feet. Come back or at least call, Apostle”, “Apostle, let Hercules (s.s. refers to Hercules) from the Netherlands rise to the first division, and now to Kautantsoglio,” wrote two admirers of Heraios with a clear mood of humor and self-sarcasm.

Can we return it? Vellios scored 4 goals in the first half of the Dutch first division match #Everton #EFC https://t.co/OZtvdcToZx

— Andrew Chamberlain (@ANCBlues) March 3, 2023

“It was one of the best games of my career. I didn’t know I had the fastest hat-trick in divisional history. In the end, three points and a win are important. I hope we continue like this,” Vellios told ESPN, dedicating each goal to the victims of the Tempe train tragedy.

Vellios’s numbers are now taking on a lot of value, as he only started 12 out of 21 matches.

In 3 years we saw 4 goals when he started in Iraklis.

Today he set them to 27 feet.

Come back, or at least call, Apostle.#vellios | #iraclisfk pic.twitter.com/p8dotii1Ac

— Il_trequartista (@TushaRoel) March 3, 2023

The resurgence of the – until recently – retired centre-forward proves that in order to be successful, you also need to chemistry in relationships with the team. An element that is at least not missing from the Greeks who decide to immigrate to the Netherlands. Since the days of Malos and Anastasiou, Jakoumakis, Pavlidis, Hatzidiakos and Douvikas, the “land of tulips” has remained the Greek footballer’s paradise.