Alex Iwobi has opened up on his role in Carlo Ancelotti’s system and why the manager is not putting pressure on him since his return from injury.
The Nigeria international arrived at Everton from Arsenal on transfer deadline day and hit the ground running with goals against Lincoln City and Wolves in August.
However, since then, the 24-year-old hasn’t managed to find the back of the net for the Blues – and is currently in a battle to regain a regular place in the starting 11. Iwobi was injured in the match before Ancelotti’s first game in charge of Everton and only made his return in February, playing two matches before lockdown came into effect.
Iwobi said: “When he first came, unfortunately, I was injured so my main focus was to try and get fit and be ready to get back in the team.
“Ever since I’ve been back, he hasn’t really put that much pressure with me to get goals. He has just said to make sure I am fit and ready to go when I am called upon. As of now, I think the role I am playing and he wants me is to help provide more goals.
“Obviously it is nice to get a goal, an attacking player needs to get goals, but I feel he is more questioning me to create more chances and assist my team-mates, rather than get goals, particularly the way we have been working in training. Hopefully, I can get more goals too for my own sake but he hasn’t really put that pressure on me at all.”
“You’re no longer that young prospect, that young talent, you have to prove yourself, show why there was so much hype about you. They only way you can do that is in games. I feel I’m at that time in my career when I need to start doing that. I do need to up my stats a bit more, improve a bit more. I think that will come, I just need to be a bit patient.”
