Everton left-back Lucas Digne has lifted the lid on his first conversation with manager Rafael Benitez and has challenged his teammates to improve this season.
Under the management of Carlo Ancelotti, the Toffees finished 10th in the Premier League last season, and following the appointment of the Spaniard over the summer, they have kicked off the new campaign without suffering a defeat in the English top flight, sitting on 10 points from four outings.
French full-back Digne, who arrived in Merseyside from Barcelona in 2018, has featured in every minute of league action so far this season, and he recently voiced his views on how the team can improve, telling evertonfc.com: "Of course, we have to improve on last season. We have to show a new face of this team and grow as quickly as we can so that we can finish higher in the table.
"At the end of last season, all of the players spoke about how we need to work hard in the summer and in pre-season in the best way possible for the new season. We have to react, we have to do better. I think everyone is on the same page and are working together to improve."
Despite a raft of players being out on international duty over the summer, the Frenchman revealed how Benitez was quick to introduce himself, adding: "The first time he called me was right after he signed for the club. We spoke together about my injury, how I feel after the Euros, if I'm tired or not. He is passionate. He loves his job and loves to do a lot of video tactical work on what we have to do to improve. I feel the team needed this so it's perfect for us."
Speaking on the character of the Toffees, Digne added: "Last season, no-one expected us to turn a game around if we went behind at half-time. This season, I think the team is more compact. However, we need to show that over the course of the season and not just in the beginning."
The Merseyside outfit staged their second comeback of the season on Monday, as they overturned a one-goal deficit to defeat Burnley 3-1 at Goodison Park and extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign.
Sam Varley
