Amadou Onana has opened up about the change of mentality Sean Dyche has brought to Everton and explained what his side needs to do in order to avoid relegation.
Everton turned a lot of heads during the summer transfer window when they swooped in and stole Onana under the noses of West Ham United.
David Moyes wanted to bring Onana to the London Stadium, only for his former club to hijack the deal. The Blues forked out £33.5 million to secure the services of the midfielder from Lille.
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The 21-year-old quickly established himself as a regular starter at Goodison Park and has been a near ever-present for his side so far this season. And opening up on life under Dyche, who joined the club back in January, Onana has revealed his new boss has brought a "different mentality and energy" to the club.
He said: "He brought a different mentality and energy. I think you can see that since he came in. The way we play, the mentality, and the character of the team has been different. It’s a good thing for all of us."
The ECHO revealed back in January that Steven Defour was helping Onana to become a Premier League star. Blues boss Dyche arranged for the pair to chat following his appointment, and the midfielder has now opened up about what the former Burnley man told him.
He said: "He talked - how can I be polite? He spoke about the nasty side of the game. But I really enjoyed talking to him.
"For us, in Belgium, he’s been a top player for many years, so I have a lot of respect for him. He gave me lots of good advice and I can certainly build on that."
Onana missed last weekend’s home defeat to Fulham with a groin injury. However, he has since returned to training and could well be a part of the squad to take on Crystal Palace this weekend.
"I am doing well," he said when asked for an update on his fitness during a club Q&A. "I’ve been improving since the beginning of the week. I trained on Thursday, so we’ll see."
The Blues currently sit one place above the drop zone with just seven games remaining. But Onana believes that if the players and supporters stick together, the club can preserve its Premier League status.
"That’s the mentality we have. We know that game wasn’t good, he said reflecting on last weekend’s defeat.
"We all know, but it’s all about being positive right now, sticking together, and going out there with a fresh mind. It’s going to be a tough battle, but we’ve prepared.
"They look like a different team since the new manager came in and they’ve got talented players. We know what it takes to beat them because we did it at home. We know that away from home, it’s a different game, but we’re ready."
Before he added: "It’s been tough, but it’s all about sticking together and trying to get the fans behind us. We’ll need them like we did last season. We all have one mission, and it’s to keep the club in the Premier League."
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