SAMUEL ETO’O says a simple truth lies behind his early-season persecution of defenders in Italy and other corners of Europe. “I had a bad summer,” Internazionale’s Cameroonian striker says, matter-of-factly.

Eto’o regularly refers to himself in the third person when he is talking business, which, for him, is goals and trophies. Only a certain calibre of A-lister can get away with it and Eto’o largely does.

This, after all, is the man who won the Champions League and domestic double with Barcelona in 2008-09, switched to Inter and immediately did it again.

The detail of that transfer, incidentally, is worth repeating. Barcelona parted with Eto’o and €46 million in exchange for Zlatan Ibramihovic.

Eto’o’s CV, which includes another Champions League, from 2006, when he scored in Barcelona’s victory over Arsenal, is humbling. It is also no exaggeration to say he is akin to a deity in Africa.

So here was the script for the summer. Eto’o takes a well-fancied Cameroon team to Africa’s first World Cup; Eto’o lives up to his individual billing and inspires the nation to glory; Eto’o achieves immortality. It all went horribly wrong.

Against a backdrop of divisive dressing-room cliques – Eto’o was the head of one faction – weak managerial leadership from Paul Le Guen and even political interference from back at home, the Indomitable Lions lost all three of their group ties.

Eto’o was left to rage at being asked to play in a wide midfield role for part of the tournament. He could just about handle that last season at club level, when he was a member of the Continent’s most successful team, but with Cameroon?

To borrow a description from him, it was no way to treat “Africa’s greatest ever striker”.

Eto’o seethed until the beginning of the season and, when it got under way, he set about taking his frustrations out on the pitch. Already, he has scored 15 goals in all competitions for Inter. To put his one-man crusade into some context, the rest of the Inter squad has contributed only nine.

Rafael Benitez, the new Inter manager, initially moved Eto’o from the right to the left, where he had defensive cover behind him in Cristian Chivu. He told him not to worry about tracking back, which was music to Eto’o’s ears.

More recently, as Diego Milito has been out injured, Benitez has been able to start Eto’o in his preferred central striker position.

A sub-plot to Tottenham’s visit to San Siro two weeks ago, when Inter won 4-3, was the coverage in Africa. The continent was gripped. Tottenham would start with two Cameroonian defenders, Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Could they subdue the main man?

Inside 45 minutes, Eto’o had two goals and two assists.

The banter has crackled between Eto’o and Assou-Ekotto in recent weeks, with each man promising the other a grave evening. Eto’o likes to talk a good game, but not as much as he enjoys playing one.