Everton

Oumar Niasse: 'I had to stay positive when waiting for chance'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 11 October 2017

Everton striker Oumar Niasse says that remaining positive during the hard times helped him when given a chance by Ronald Koeman last month.

Oumar Niasse has admitted that he found it "difficult" being overlooked for selection by Everton, but he is now ready to prove himself after being given another chance.

The 27-year-old was banished to the reserves side in the first half of last season before being sent on loan to Hull City, having failed to make an impression under boss Ronald Koeman.

Niasse, a £13.5m signing from Lokomotiv Moscow in February 2016 when Roberto Martinez was in charge at Goodison Park, has been integrated back into the squad this term and repaid his manager by scoring three times in three games.

With Everton struggling for form, the Senegal international is keen to shine further to help turn around his side's fortunes.

"I think the most important thing is to be ready and I have been every time," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying. "The first three or four months here were difficult but after that I've kept my mind and I've tried to settle and I think I'm settling very, very well now.

"I will not say I'm lucky, I'm blessed. I always take things in a positive way in my life because some things can be negative, but if you look more forward you're going to see that you have a lot more positive things in your life. Every time anything bad happens, I say that good things will happen soon. That helps me to always believe in myself and believe in what I'm doing.

"It's not difficult when you arrive at Everton, it's much more difficult when I left to go to Russia and Turkey. I remember when I arrived, Aaron Lennon was saying every day, 'If there's anything you need, call me.' At Everton when you arrive there are always people to help you settle and asking you about everything you need. In the future anything could happen to you and you always think this club can help you."

Niasse scored once against Sunderland in the EFL Cup and twice in the slender win over Bournemouth three days later, be he failed to get off the mark as Everton were defeated 1-0 by Burnley last time out.