Jean-Philippe Gbamin has discovered a “second family” at Everton – and the warmth of supporters helped the midfielder retain a positive mindset during his prolonged injury absence.

Ivorian Gbamin drew a line under 20 trying months when he replaced James Rodriguez in Everton’s meeting with Crystal Palace on Monday.

Stepping back onto the Goodison Park pitch was a “great feeling”, said Gbamin, who missed 597 days following quadriceps and Achilles injuries.

The 25-year-old was closing on a return from the muscle problem when he hurt his Achilles in May last year.

WATCH THE SECOND PART OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH JP GBAMIN ABOVE OR HERE

Gbamin’s recovery gathered pace with outdoor training last month and, after joining first-team sessions prior to the international break, he was tipped for a comeback by Carlo Ancelotti.

And manager Ancelotti – a confirmed fan of the player – introduced Gbamin with 12 minutes of this week’s Premier League encounter remaining.

“The feeling [coming on] was great,” Gbamin told evertontv.

“I was waiting for this moment for a long time.

“I have been patient and working hard to come back. It was not easy. Finally, being there on Monday night was unbelievable.

“When I was waiting to come on, I was thinking, ‘It’s been a long way until this time’.

“I was very, very happy and I think you could see that on my face. I was smiling and it was a great moment.

“The fans have been amazing.

"They were sending me messages on social media and stuff like that [during rehabilitation] and it was very, very warm for them to think about me.

“When I came here, it was like a second family. Everybody in the Club was working around me.

“You feel like you are home, you know? It is special.”

Gbamin joined from Mainz 05 in the summer of 2019 and made his debut as a substitute on the opening day of the ensuing campaign, in a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

He started and finished a single-goal victory over Watford the following week.

But Gbamin’s encouraging start was checked by a complex quadriceps issue, which required two rounds of surgery.

He ultimately recovered optimum condition, only to be struck down again 11 months ago.

Gbamin immediately recognised the serious nature of his Achilles injury, sustained in training – but, just as quickly, found perspective and resolved to stay upbeat.

“I was close to the comeback after the quadriceps injury,” said Gbamin, detailing the most recent problem.

“I was thinking I would get some time [on the pitch] and be back playing [before the end of 2019/20] because of the COVID outbreak and all the stuff around the world [delaying the season].

“But, after a few training sessions, I had the Achilles [injury] and it was hard in the moment.

“But after, I was always positive.

“In my head, I thought, ‘It can be worse – some people in the world don’t have the chance to play football’.

“I knew it would be a long way to recovery after this injury.

“The Achilles is always very difficult, because you can lose your calf, your power and stuff like that.

“But I was confident.”

Gbamin played 95 games for German club Mainz following a summer 2016 transfer from Lens, the French team where he made 98 appearances after a senior debut, aged 18, in August 2014.

Deprived of regular football after arriving on Merseyside, then, Gbamin encountered a mental test every bit as demanding as the physical challenges of extensive rehabilitation periods.

And Gbamin, capped 12 times by Ivory Coast, was grateful to lean on various sources of support, not least the Evertonians willing their player back to full health.

“I was supported by everybody around me,” continued Gbamin.

“I received a lot of messages from the fans, [telling me] to not keep my head down.

“At these times, without playing many games for Everton, it was hard.

“I had played only one-and-a-half games.

“I had to think positively in this time because if I was thinking negatively, I would go down, for sure.

“My family, here, and the people in Everton were really, really good with me and I want to thank them for that.”