Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi has insisted Frank Lampard's "belief" in him has been paramount to his impressive individual turnaround at Goodison Park this year.
Iwobi, who made the move from Goodison Park for a fee of £34m in 2019, endured a difficult start to life on Merseyside under managers Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti as he was deployed in a plethora of positions and subsequently unable to nail down a regular role in the Blues' side.
However, since the appointment of Lampard in January, the Nigeria international has gone from strength to strength at Goodison Park and ultimately played a huge role in helping the club avoid relegation to the Championship at the back end of last season.
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"I'm going into the games confident, I always feel like I can influence the game whether that's in a defensive part or an attacking part," said the midfielder, speaking to Everton's official website after the draw with Brentford on Saturday. "I mean the team always helps me, they help me perform to the level I'm doing at the moment, so I'm enjoying it."
Iwobi, who has cemented himself as one of the club's best midfield options after a string of impressive performances so far this campaign, believes his revival has been down to the trust Lampard has placed in him.
"When he [Lampard] first got appointed, I came back from AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) and he's always given me the belief to go and express myself and play the way I train. He's always given me the belief and confidence that I can just go out there and enjoy my football, and so ever since he's been appointed I've been doing that and repaying the faith that he's shown in me.
"I mean, sometimes he does tell me to cool down and keep the ball, enjoy the ball, but he also enjoys the fact that I'm always trying to progress with the ball and get the team up the pitch with the ball, so as long as I'm just expressing myself I don't think he minds."
Anthony Gordon's tidy finish midway through the first half wasn't enough for the Toffees to earn their first win of the new Premier League season as a late goal from Brentford condemned them to a 1-1 draw in the capital.
Everton are in action on Tuesday evening as they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United.
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