Michael Keane has opened up on being frozen out by Frank Lampard and revealed the blunt response he was given when asked about getting back in the team.
The centre-back made 30 or more Premier League games in each of his first five seasons at Everton. Yet under Lampard this season, Keane was restricted to a mere 22 minutes of action off the bench at Brentford in August.
However, the appointment of Sean Dyche, under whose management at Burnley Keane earned his move to Goodison Park, the England international has been handed a fresh start and picked alongside his former Clarets centre-back partner James Tarkowski for his side’s past four matches.
READ MORE: What happened in Everton training as Seamus Coleman asked Kylian Mbappe question
READ MORE: Every word the Everton accounts say about £150m loan and relegation 'scenario'
But when reflecting on his time out of the side, Keane revealed that when he went and asked Lampard what he needed to do to get back into contention, he was told 'nothing really' with the former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder pointing to the defender’s age as the reason why.
“This season, when Frank was manager, I played 20 minutes of Premier League football and that’s something I’d never had to cope with before,” Keane told the Sunday Times.
“I did find it really tough. It was not having the match day feeling that comes from being in contention to start, and not even a feeling I had a chance of coming on.
“Feeling out of the picture and knowing I couldn’t do any more in training. It’s hard to swallow. You feel ‘why is this happening?’
“The team started the season OK but then we were losing games and I was still nowhere near it. That feeling where the manager rates you, where he respects you as a player, where he makes you feel a part of it … when I didn’t have that it was hard.”
Before he added: “Frank was a good person, but he didn’t really speak to me. When I asked what I could do to get a chance, he said, ‘there’s nothing really.’
“He said, ‘at your age, I’m not going to tell you what to improve, what you should work on. You just need to keep going and see what happens.’
“Frank was a really good person. But unfortunately it didn’t work out — and on a personal level it was probably what I needed to get back in the team.”
Speaking back in February, Blues boss Dyche revealed his 'wheel of fortune' would be making a return at Everton after proving successful at former club Burnley.
The light-hearted spin the wheel game sees players forced into paying financial penalties or completing tasks likely to encourage camaraderie among the group. And Keane has revealed he is set to participate in a task ahead of his side’s Premier League game against Tottenham after being made to spin the wheel last week.
He said: “I had my first one last week. I left a drinks bottle hanging around and someone took a picture of it.
“My forfeit is to do 50 kick ups in the meeting room in front of everyone, and for every time I don’t get up to 50, I’ll pay a fine. I’m doing it on Sunday, before our team meeting for Tottenham.”
READ NEXT:
Bill Kenwright responds to Everton allegations and doubles down on 'good times' claim
Everton boss hails 'extra good' youngster as Stanley Mills sends Sean Dyche message
Where Everton would be in the Premier League this season without VAR
-
Everton coach lifts lid on Jordan Pickford and surviving manager culls
- Everton confirm special plan for 'inspirational' fan Harry Garside after viral video
