Neal Maupay opens up on feeling the love from Evertonians, the strong team spirit within the squad, and his belief Sunday's win over West Ham United is 'just the start' for the Blues...
I’ve been an Everton player for around three weeks but I already feel part of the Club and part of the family.
The players have welcomed me very well and the manager makes sure everyone feels good and feels happy in the team.
The fans have also been fantastic with me. The atmosphere is so good at Goodison Park and I feel their support every day. Even in the city, I’ve bumped in to so many Everton fans and they all say, ‘We are all behind you, all the best’.
You can feel this city is full of Evertonians and it’s great to be part of this atmosphere and part of this club.
Sunday’s victory over West Ham was massive for us and I believe we deserved it. Our performances had been good but you need the points. It was crucial to get the win just before the international break.
Of course, it was an extra special day for me as I scored my first goal for Everton. It meant a lot.
Against Liverpool in the previous match, I had a big chance in the second half but couldn’t score. I was a bit frustrated, but my teammates all told me, ‘You played well, you gave everything and you helped us to get a point’.
If I had that chance against West Ham, it was very important for me to put it in the back of the net. That’s what I did and hopefully there are a lot more goals to come.
The whole team played well but we can play better than that. We can improve, and that’s what we’ll do.
There is a great spirit in the squad. Everyone works really hard for the team: the forwards, midfielders, defenders, all the way back to the keeper – Asmir Begovic was brilliant against West Ham. We’ve got that desire to defend together, to work hard, and to keep clean sheets.
We all trust in each other and that’s really important. We know everyone’s quality and if someone makes a mistake, we run for him. It’s a good feeling in the squad and we have got the assets to get good results.
Sunday’s win was only the start for me and for the team and there is definitely more to come from us this season.
