In his latest column for evertonfc.com, Willie Kirk discusses the application his players have shown while training at home, how he has been using this period to shape the Blues' recruitment plans, and the importance of the Blue Family campaign....

SQUAD RESPONDING TO UNIQUE CHALLENGE

I’ve been hugely impressed with how everyone involved with Everton Women has responded to the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in.

The players have all got individual programmes to work on at home and their application has been exceptional.

We have been able to buy fitness equipment that we’ve had delivered to them, which has been very beneficial.

That’s allowing them to do very good fitness sessions indoors or in the garden, whatever works best for them.

Some of them are using this break as an opportunity to do rehab work or strengthen in certain areas. They’ve all been superb.

STAYING IN TOUCH

The staff are in regular contact with the players and we have split our communication into four key elements.

That means we have at least four touchpoints with them each week, although they are free to make that more frequent.

The first touchpoint is myself, which is a generic, overarching conversation where I can pick up on any specific areas they want to talk about.

We’ve then got my assistant manager Chris Roberts and Krzysztof Waloszczyk (analyst) focusing on technical and tactical aspects. The players have been looking back at previous matches with them. For example, some of them wanted to analyse their recent international performances, so we gained access to those games.

The girls have really thrown themselves into that, which has been very encouraging and will only help their development.

Jack Clover (sports scientist) and Charlotte Doughty (first-team physio), meanwhile, have been overseeing the players’ health and fitness, while Matt Domville (performance psychologist) is speaking to them regularly regarding their wellbeing and psychology.

FUTURE PLANNING

As a group of staff, this period has given us a chance to get ahead of things in our planning for next year.

That includes what our training schedules will look like, and our recruitment, too. We’ve been doing a lot of work regarding potential acquisitions.

I’ve managed to get into a good routine, personally.

I’ve always got three or four players to call at some point during the day and we’ve got a regular staff meeting every morning at 10.30am, too.

There’s plenty of things still in the diary that give some structure to your day.

We’ve got a new puppy as well, so that’s keeping me busy around the house!

BLUE FAMILY EMBODIES EVERTON SPIRIT

Everton has launched the Blue Family campaign in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, and it has been fantastic to see the impact it has made.

The Club has taken significant steps in reaching out to the community, providing support for those who are vulnerable or isolated. That’s what Everton is all about.

Our players have been doing their bit in helping to lift spirits. I’ve watched Maeva Clemaron’s French lesson and Simone Magill’s bedtime story for kids – they both did a brilliant job.

Our players are always very eager to do whatever they can in terms of the Club’s community work, and that reflects the type of characters we’ve got in the squad.

We’re very careful when we recruit and look closely at individuals’ values off the pitch as well as their abilities on the field.

It’s a very uncertain time for all of society, but everyone is pulling together. The Blue Family campaign embodies that.

It’s so important we look out for each other and give as much love and support as possible to those who are in need.