Vitalii Mykolenko took part in a wide-ranging Q&A discussing his fine form so far and his drive to be even better. The Everton defender also opens up on the Club’s performances this season and explains why the team are confident heading into Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa. 

Q. Vitalii, you seem to be enjoying your football this season at Everton. What is the secret to your success?

VM: I work hard in every session. I remember when I was injured in July, and I started to train with our physios, and I worked very hard to get back. Every session was tough for me, and now I’m adapting to the league, which is important. I feel more used to playing against top sides, and I feel more confident when I’m out on the pitch.

I am always striving to be better and become a better player and this motivation really helps push me on. 

Q. What is it like playing under Sean Dyche?

VM: The first few months took time to adjust to a new manager with new ideas and rules. That is normal but now everyone understands the rules and what he expects from us. 

He doesn’t speak a lot. He speaks briefly and it’s easy to understand. I like it because I know what he wants, and he brings a good mentality into the dressing room. 

He said to me after a game - I think it was Chelsea - that I was terrific. Before that, it would just be: ‘All good', or something like that, but for that game, he said: ‘Terrific'. It was nice!

Q. What has he said he wants from you as a full-back?

VM: He just makes it clear he wants me to win my individual duels, defend well but also contribute in attacks. 

Obviously, though, he wants me to be sensible. If we are up against a good attacking team, and a strong winger, then he won’t want me over-commit in attack. It’s about being sensible and picking my moments to join in. 

Q. How do you reflect on the season for Everton so far?

VM: When I heard the news about the points deduction, it was hard to understand, but when it comes to the training ground, I can see everyone wants more points because we don’t want to be near the bottom of the table. I think after that, we understood we should work in one way - we should work together. I am confident we can escape any danger. 

Q. We had a really good start to last month with four straight wins without conceding, then the results changed. What do you put that down to?

VM: It’s hard to say but we had so many games in December. We started well, beating Forest away, winning twice at home and then beating Burnley. Possibly a few injuries changed our squad - it was hard. 

Q. Obviously, in the last meeting with Palace, the team had to dig deep with 10 men to make sure we secured this replay. How happy were you to see Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s red card overturned?

VM: Yes, I was very relieved. We have had a few injuries, but thankfully people have been coming back which is good. Dom being available is great for us, too. 

Q. Generally, how are you adapting to life in Liverpool. We are doing this interview in English and you are speaking the language very well. 

VM: Maybe not very well, but I am always trying to get better. Even my translator said I am speaking better, but my English will continue to improve. The first year here for me and my girlfriend was tough, but now I am enjoying it here. 

I feel much better now in the dressing room. I can understand jokes – even the Scouse accent! It was more difficult to start with when I moved here, but I feel much more comfortable now.

Q. Of course, there’s been trouble in your homeland of Ukraine. How has that impacted things for you and what are your hopes for the future?

VM: I hope it will end as soon as possible because it is horrible for the whole world. I try and forget about war out on the pitch because it doesn’t help me. I focus on good emotions and try to send good messages to the people of Ukraine. If I play good, I think it’s good for our country. 

Q. Away from football, what do you do to relax? I heard you like fishing.

VM: No fishing at the moment because it’s too cold. I went to Paris for a few days recently with my girlfriend and it was nice to switch off from football. It’s been nice to have a break after such a busy December.

Q. Back to matters on the pitch, up next is Aston Villa. They are one of the form teams in the Premier League. What are you expecting from them? 

VM: They have a good manager, very good manager. They know what to do on the pitch. It's hard to play against a team like that because they know all their roles. 

But we are playing at Goodison and we can beat anyone in front of our home fans.