Neal Maupay may have swapped high-flying Brighton for an Everton team yet to win a game this season - but the Frenchman is in no doubt that he’s taken a step up.
Maupay, a £15million signing from Albion last month, understood the scale of the club he’s joined even before he agreed to make the move to Goodison with Albion ensconced in the top four.
The welcome Frank Lampard and his players were given as they arrived at the stadium ahead of Maupay’s debut in the Merseyside derby only confirmed it.
And now the 26-year-old striker has made it his mission to make the fans happy.
“This is definitely a step up,” said Maupay ahead of the clash with West Ham. “ Everton is one of the biggest clubs in England.
“The coach welcome was the best I’ve ever seen. It was just so great.
“It’s only when you actually see things like that you realise how much it means to the fans and the people of Everton.
“I wouldn’t say it gave me more motivation - because I always do my best - but if you feel tired, or you are struggling during a game, that’s what you think about these people.
“They love the club and they would give everything to be on that pitch to play, so you’ve got to fight and give everything.
“I look at the fans and think ‘we can make these people happy and proud.’
“I’m not talking about winning every game or scoring 30 goals-a-season.
“It’s about having the right mentality. If you fight for the shirt then the fans will love us.
“They travel every week or come to the stadium, so the minimum we can do is give them everything.
“Our job isn’t just about playing football. We can also affect people’s lives.
“I really love that because how many people can say that just by doing your job you make people happy? Not a lot.”
Graham Potter followed Maupay out of the Amex Stadium when he agreed to become Chelsea ’s new manager - and the Frenchman is backing his former boss to succeed at Stamford Bridge if he is given the time he was afforded at Stamford Bridge.
“He (Potter) won’t change things overnight,” said Maupay. “He will need time and if he gets it then I think he will do well.
“The question is, will he get time at Chelsea? When you’re at clubs like that, you’ve got to win straight away.”
Maupay, who arrived in England five years ago when he joined Brentford from St-Etienne before moving to Brentford in 2019, feels Lampard can have the same effect at Goodison.
He added: “Everyone praises Graham Potter for what he did at Brighton.
“Last season we finished ninth - but the season before that we finished 16th and were only safe from relegation about three games before the end of the season.
“So football changes. Just because we were struggling yesterday doesn’t mean that tomorrow won’t be good.
“We’ve got everything at this club - the fans, the structure, the manager and the players.
“I’ve been in the process at Brighton where we had a new manager and new players.
“We had two tough seasons. The third one was the good one.
“Last season, Lampard came in and had to save the club.
“Now is the time for him to work on a system and how we want to play.
“We haven’t had any wins yet this season, but when I look at the games I see a lot of positives.
“At Brentford, we were winning, it was the same at Leeds, and we drew with Liverpool.
“I think it’s only a matter of time before we turn these draws into wins and the losses into draws.”
Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil were special guests at an Everton in the Community Premier League Primary Stars session themed around literacy, delivered to children at Kirkdale St Lawrence Primary School, just a mile from Goodison Park.
The programme, which is provided in 61 schools across Merseyside, uses the appeal of the Premier League and Everton Football Club to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
