Willian surprised by the performance of Richarlison at Everton

Chelsea attacker Willian has admitted that he has been surprised with the impact from compatriot Richarlison at Everton this term. The Brazilian only made the switch to the Toffees from Watford during the summer but he has since quickly adapted to the new surroundings to contribute six goals from just 10 Premier League appearances.

As such, he has managed to become a regular with the Brazilian national side and Willian is surprised by the progress of the former America Mineiro graduate, he told Sportsbeat: “Richarlison is doing very well with Everton. He is one of the greatest surprises of the Premier League at the beginning of the season. Scoring goals, being a key player for his club.And in his first call up with Seleção he scored twice and did a great job. He has a lot of quality, knows how to score goals and has a lot of potential to help the Seleção.”
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Everton manager hails the fan support following Manchester United defeat

Everton manager Marco Silva has hailed the support from the fans in the aftermath of the 2-1 Premier League defeat at Manchester United. The Toffees had come into the game with three league wins on the bounce but they could not prolong the run at Old Trafford where they missed a number of key chances to find the scoresheet.

As such, they had to succumb to their first defeat of the month but the supporters were appreciative of the efforts of the team throughout the game. Speaking to Everton TV, Silva was pleased with the performance of his side on the road and feels were satisfied despite their failure to pick up three points on the day.
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Lucas Digne credits Everton for his France recall

Everton defender Lucas Digne has said that his move to Goodison Park has played a huge role in him making a comeback with the France national side. The 25-year-old was only on the standby list for Didier Deschamps during the summer World Cup where they were crowned the new champions after beating Croatia in the final.

Speaking to Everton TV, Digne admitted that the switch to Merseyside may have enhanced his return to the national side after he previously failed to make the squad for the global tournament in Russia, he said: “I think it (moving to Everton) is so important to my recall. When I came here I wanted to play every week, to enjoy it and discover a new country, a new league, and then see what happens (with France), but now I am so happy. I want to say thank you to my team-mates, the coach and the staff and the fans too because they helped me a lot to get the recall.”
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Richarlison admits he nearly gave up on becoming a professional footballer

Everton’s summer signing Richarlison has admitted that he nearly gave up on the dream of becoming a professional career. In an interview with AS, the Toffees frontman discussed the hardships faced during the initial stages of his career and admitted that he would have not made to the big stage, had he failed with his ultimate trial with America Mineiro.

Speaking to the Spanish publication, he said: “I haven’t got enough fingers to count the number of clubs who rejected me. I was ready to give up football, but I lifted my head and I went to Belo Horizonte with just the money for an outward ticket for the last trial I had, with America MG. If I didn’t make it, I had no money to get home to Espiritu Santo, 600 kilometres away. I gave my all that morning and I passed. If I had given up after the first no I would never have made it where I am today.”
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Marcel Brands insists Yerry Mina only wanted to join Everton

Everton director of football Marcel Brands has stressed that Yerry Mina had no second thoughts about joining the club during the summer. Towards the end of the transfer window, it had been suggested that the Toffees had beaten Manchester United to the central defender only because of the additional fees offered to the player’s agent and uncle but Brands has now dismissed the claims.

In a report covered by The Mail, he said: “It was really simple behind the scenes. I put the offer in and Barcelona asked for a totally different amount that we would never have paid. Then they said, ‘OK, we will wait until the end of the market’. We never changed our offer. That was a bit of gamble because everyone was writing about Man United [wanting Mina] and Barcelona used that, agents used that, everyone used it. The player said constantly to me, ‘I want to go to Everton’. That was a great thing for us but you never know if Manchester United come in and offer an extra £150,000 a week – every player would like that.”
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Sam Allardyce warns Marco Silva over Richarlison deal

Sam Allardyce has warned Marco Silva over his decision to push through a summer deal for Watford winger Richarlison. The Brazilian struggled during the second half of the previous season where he failed to contribute a goal or assist and Allardyce believes Silva could face the wrath of the supporters, should the forward fail to an impact from the off.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, he said: “Everybody’s seen the drop off since Mario Silva (sic) left Watford, or maybe even before then. I think that he has seen him first-hand and worked with him on a daily basis so he is backing his own judgement. What I would say to be careful about though is, if you say you are buying potential, Everton fans do not want potential. If you’re buying Richarlison now as a future player, that’s not what Everton fans want to see at the moment. They want to see them fighting with the best and up there with the top four.”
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Gylfi Sigurdsson reflects on the toughest moment of his career

Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson spoke about the disappointment after Iceland succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria at the World Cup. The Icelanders were lauded for their impressive draw against Argentina during their tournament debut but they could not replicate the feat versus the Super Eagles, who found the scoresheet twice via Ahmed Musa.

Speaking after the game, Sigurdsson admitted that the match was probably the toughest of his career after he spurned the chance to bring Iceland back into the game via the penalty spot. With just seven minutes of normal time left, Alfred Finnbogason was fouled in the box which allowed Iceland a route into the match but Sigurdsson could only hoof the opportunity over the bar.
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Idrissa Gueye backs Everton to clinch European qualification next season

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye believes there is enough quality within the squad to compete for the European places next term. The Merseyside outfit finished the recently concluded season in eight position and this saw them lose the final Europa League place to seventh-placed Burnley, who had a five-point advantage.

Speaking to Fox Sports Radio, Gueye stressed that the Toffees have ‘so much quality’ within the ranks and he is optimistic of the club finishing in the European places next season, he said: “I want to help the club fight for Europe next season. This club has been great to me since I have arrived. We have so much quality in the team. “Yes, last season was difficult, but we are very capable of again playing in Europe.”
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