Everton defender Brendan Galloway has lifted the lid on his frustrations after a ‘tough’ season on loan at West Brom.
The 21-year-old spent the majority of the 2016-17 campaign away at The Hawthorns, where he had hoped to gain valuable first-team experience.
However, Galloway was restricted to just five appearances in all competitions for the Baggies, and admits he is ‘happy to back’ at Everton ahead of next season.
The England Under 21 international has three years still left to run on his current deal at Goodison Park, and could be fighting for a place in the first-team squad following his return to the club.
Galloway was recalled to Merseyside for the final few months of the season after his lack of opportunities, where he then played an important role for the Under 23’s team as they lifted the Premier League 2 title.
But despite his ‘frustrating’ time out on loan last term, Galloway admits there were some positives to take from the experience.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “It was a tough season and I learned a lot. I experienced something different but now I’m happy to be back.
“It was frustrating [not to play more games] but I learnt a different style of football. As a young footballer, you need to learn other aspects to your game. I learnt how to deal with not playing, which was very hard, but I’m happy to be back here.
“It was a tough year but walking back into Finch Farm [Everton’s training ground] and seeing all the lads has really made me happy. Now you’ve experienced something else, you realise there is nothing like Everton.”
Galloway moved to Everton from MK Dons in 2014, and has since made 21 senior appearances for the club, including 19 in all competitions during the 2015-16 campaign.
A versatile defender, Galloway can be deployed at either left-back or at centre-back, which could prove a useful asset to Koeman as Everton prepare to compete on the European stage next term.
The Toffees booked their place in the Europa League qualifying round with a seventh-place finish in the Premier League.