Everton summer signing Amadou Onana "gets chills" at the thought of stepping out at Goodison Park for his home debut.
The 21-year-old had an instant impact in his first minutes for the club at Aston Villa - creating the goal that brought the Blues back into the game. After that first taste of the Premier League he is excited for his first foray in front of his own fans, the feeling boosted by the reception he received when he was spotted in the stands during the game against Chelsea.
Reflecting on that experience, he said: "That reaction in the stands was crazy. It’s an incredible feeling to be made so welcome and I was very grateful. The thought of playing there gets me really fired up. I’m ready to go."
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Onana was seen climbing the steps to the directors box at half-time during the season opener at Goodison Park. His appearance sparked excitement in the crowd and he happily posed for pictures with supporters. His attendance effectively confirmed the Belgium international's move to Merseyside - though the deal was not officially signed off until a few days later.
In an interview set to feature in Everton's matchday programme for the visit of Nottingham Forest on Saturday, he said: "I’ve always wanted to play in England... That’s not a secret. I’m here now - and Everton feels special. I want to build something big here, because I know this is a big club. The past couple of years have been tough, but I want to bring Everton back to where they belong. I get chills thinking about playing at Goodison for the first time, especially after the reaction I got when people saw me arriving at the stadium on the first day of the season."
Onana was brought on in the 81st minute at Villa Park despite his match preparation being hit by the length of the discussions to bring him to Everton. He conceded possession on the halfway line in the build up to Villa's second goal but did so in trying to be positive - which earned him praise from Frank Lampard after the game.
Rather than let that hit his confidence he had the courage to immediately seek the ball and then created the Lucas Digne own goal that almost provided a platform for Everton to snatch a draw. Describing his debut as a "rollercoaster", he said: "I had many, many emotions. The first game was special - wearing the Everton shirt for the first time, getting on the pitch for the first time in front of the fans. I can feel their energy and I’ve received so many messages on social media! It’d be impossible to read them all, but the support is massive. I keep saying it, but it is just very special.
"[My first appearance] went okay. I give everything and try to do my best every time I’m on the pitch. This is the kind of player I am. I like to take responsibility and try to make things better for my team. It’s a special feeling, playing in front of packed-out stadiums, but I just play like I train. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I don’t fear pressure. I take it on and move forward.
"I saw during that [Villa] game we struggled at times to carry the ball out effectively and I just tried my best. Unfortunately, on one occasion it ended up me losing the ball, but I think it’s part of the game. I could never blame anyone else for trying to do the right thing. After that, I just kept going, like I always do, took the ball again and thankfully managed to create something. In the final 10 minutes I think we had four chances to score, so that game could have ended up different, but it wasn’t to be."
Following the match, Lampard praised Onana's first minutes for Everton. Referring to his decisive role in Everton's goal he said: "It was a clear show of the kind of qualities he's got so I'm really pleased he got onto the pitch. I don't want to put too much on his shoulders but there is a reason why we signed him and why we pushed so hard for him and I believe we will see that."
He later explained work to bring Onana to match fitness would continue this week and, while he has urged supporters to have patience in the young midfielder, added: "We need to get him there quickly because we want him in and around it."
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