Niels Nkounkou may not have been the most high profile new signing at Everton last summer but he is an exciting one.
The Frenchman has had to be patient this season, and Carlo Ancelotti hasn’t handed him many chances in the league despite Lucas Digne’s injury.
But Nkounkou has spoken to the club’s official website about Ancelotti’s influence on his decision to come to Goodison Park.
He says he is settled in in England and working hard in training to be ready when a chance comes his way.
“I’m pretty well settled in. I live just like an Englishman!” he said. “I spoke with (Ancelotti) and he told me his plans for me. That gave me an even bigger confidence boost and that’s why I chose Everton.
“He said he had been following me for a while and that I was a good player with good potential for the future.
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I put in some good performances in the Carabao Cup, but the league game against Newcastle was a bit tougher. But, as we stand, I wasn’t expecting all that so soon, so I’m very happy to have already made those small steps.
“I have to be patient and show the manager I’m working even harder and he can count on me. Once I get the opportunity, it will be all about showing him I’m ready to perform whenever a position in the team opens up.”
Some Everton fans may wonder why the Frenchman hasn’t played much in Digne’s absence.
But his comments there make it quite clear he wasn’t even expecting to play as much as he has this season.
He knows he’s still got a lot to learn and improve on and Ancelotti is as good a manager as he could hope to work with on that score.