Bernard is leaving nothing to chance in his pursuit of the peak physical and mental condition which will enable him to produce his best football and excite Evertonians.
The Brazilian forward made his full Everton debut in last month’s win at Leicester City following a summer transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk.
His introduction to the team has coincided with a profitable sequence of games which has seen Marco Silva’s side claim 10 points from 15 available and climb to within touching distance of the Premier League’s top six.
Furthermore, Bernard is certain there is plenty of scope for improvement – from a team and individual viewpoint – under manager Silva.
“I think I have improved a lot since I arrived,” said Bernard who completed his move from 11-times Ukranian Premier League winners Shakhtar on the eve of the 2018-19 campaign.
“It is not just about playing – to have confidence in your game, you need to get up to speed mentally, too. I hope I can fully adapt as soon as possible and my recent run of games has helped [advance this process].
“What I can say is, I do not lack the dedication to reach 100 per cent.
“I have always played to try to excite supporters. I cannot promise I will be able to achieve this but I will dedicate myself to ensuring I have the best chance of it happening.
“We have kept improving under the coaching of Marco Silva – and we can continue to improve. The belief we have is important because every game in the Premier League is hard.”
Bernard featured four times from the bench before making his first Everton start in a Carabao Cup tie with Southampton.
He retained his spot for the Premier League encounter with Leicester four days later and took all of seven minutes to provide a crucial assist, the 26-year-old embarking on a jinking run and flighting a cross for compatriot Richarlison to prod home.
Bernard’s subsequent four matches have represented an eclectic mix of challenges. In the past month Everton have travelled to face big guns Manchester United and Chelsea and welcomed Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion to Goodison Park.
Stubborn pair Palace and Brighton both hung in for an extended periods of their visits to L4 before cracking under the weight of second-half pressure from Silva’s side.
Bernard is expecting another cussed opponent in Cardiff City on Saturday. Neil Warnock’s team beat Brighton immediately before the international break to draw level on points with Southampton and Palace, the two sides directly above the bottom three.
“Cardiff are physically strong and a team that defends well,” said Bernard.
“They have their qualities and we need to respect them. It will be a hard game at Goodison Park and we need to make the most of playing at home to try to get the three points. We need to watch out for them and it won’t be an easy game for us to win.
“The Premier League is different from what I have experienced. Every game has different situations and different scenarios.
“When I arrived, I was watching training, watching games and seeing what I needed to do to improve.
“For the past two months, I have spent time resting at home because training sessions are really intense, as are the games. I just want to rest because I need to recover for games and training.
"The opportunity we have in training to improve is important because it gives us the best chance against our opponents.”
The Brazilian forward made his full Everton debut in last month’s win at Leicester City following a summer transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk.
His introduction to the team has coincided with a profitable sequence of games which has seen Marco Silva’s side claim 10 points from 15 available and climb to within touching distance of the Premier League’s top six.
Furthermore, Bernard is certain there is plenty of scope for improvement – from a team and individual viewpoint – under manager Silva.
“I think I have improved a lot since I arrived,” said Bernard who completed his move from 11-times Ukranian Premier League winners Shakhtar on the eve of the 2018-19 campaign.
“It is not just about playing – to have confidence in your game, you need to get up to speed mentally, too. I hope I can fully adapt as soon as possible and my recent run of games has helped [advance this process].
“What I can say is, I do not lack the dedication to reach 100 per cent.
“I have always played to try to excite supporters. I cannot promise I will be able to achieve this but I will dedicate myself to ensuring I have the best chance of it happening.
“We have kept improving under the coaching of Marco Silva – and we can continue to improve. The belief we have is important because every game in the Premier League is hard.”
Bernard featured four times from the bench before making his first Everton start in a Carabao Cup tie with Southampton.
He retained his spot for the Premier League encounter with Leicester four days later and took all of seven minutes to provide a crucial assist, the 26-year-old embarking on a jinking run and flighting a cross for compatriot Richarlison to prod home.
Bernard’s subsequent four matches have represented an eclectic mix of challenges. In the past month Everton have travelled to face big guns Manchester United and Chelsea and welcomed Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion to Goodison Park.
Stubborn pair Palace and Brighton both hung in for an extended periods of their visits to L4 before cracking under the weight of second-half pressure from Silva’s side.
Bernard is expecting another cussed opponent in Cardiff City on Saturday. Neil Warnock’s team beat Brighton immediately before the international break to draw level on points with Southampton and Palace, the two sides directly above the bottom three.
“Cardiff are physically strong and a team that defends well,” said Bernard.
“They have their qualities and we need to respect them. It will be a hard game at Goodison Park and we need to make the most of playing at home to try to get the three points. We need to watch out for them and it won’t be an easy game for us to win.
“The Premier League is different from what I have experienced. Every game has different situations and different scenarios.
“When I arrived, I was watching training, watching games and seeing what I needed to do to improve.
“For the past two months, I have spent time resting at home because training sessions are really intense, as are the games. I just want to rest because I need to recover for games and training.
"The opportunity we have in training to improve is important because it gives us the best chance against our opponents.”
