Everton boss Marco Silva has admitted that he has been blown away by the impact of summer signing Yerry Mina in the dressing room despite the fact the Colombian is yet to play for the club.
Mina was signed for around £27million from Barcelona in the summer, arriving alongside Nou Camp teammate Andre Gomes, who has joined on a season-long loan.
The 6ft 5in colossus [Transfermarkt] has been struggling with injury so far this term but has returned to fitness recently and is vying for his debut, with Silva now singing his praises ahead of that possibly happening against Manchester United on Sunday.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Silva said: “He has the quality, and that’s why we spent big money to sign a player like him. But the other things are really important for me as well – character, a good personality, being a good professional. To put players in our dressing room we have to be sure about his behaviour, and it’s something I like to be aware of.
“Of course because of his character he can enjoy the moments with everyone. In our dressing room if you are there 20 minutes you listen to 10 minutes of Yerry Mina!
“He’s settled in the club, his English is improving as well. He’s a happy boy and even though he’s not playing every week he’s working very hard and I’m happy because I can see him working hard and fighting for what he wants.”
OPINION
It is brilliant to hear that Mina is managing to make an impact behind the scenes at Everton after seeing his season so far limited by injury. Big things are expected of the Colombia international after his impressive World Cup campaign, but he has been robbed of the chance to show what he can do at Goodison Park so far. That being said, he is obviously settling in well with the squad, and maybe this initial period off the pitch will help him in the long run as he adapts to life in England without the pressure of playing. It will be a tough task for him to break into the side in the first place, with Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma impressing together at centre-back, but Mina’s time will come soon as the Toffees vie with a packed fixture schedule heading into the Christmas period. He has obviously made the right impression with Silva, and that will stand him in good stead going forward.