Former Everton defender Sylvain Distin has hailed his old club’s perfect start to the season and pinpointed the two Blues stars whose contributions are overlooked.
Sylvain Distin said “I have a weakness for right-back Seamus Coleman with whom I played. There is also Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has just been called up for the national team. Proof that something is happening at Everton. (Lucas) Digne and (Abdoulaye) Doucouré are underrated in France because they haven’t played there much and they don’t play at a ‘media club’. But they are super pros, solid, discreet. Carlo Ancelotti personifies it (the ambition). He is in the same circle as Klopp, Guardiola, Mourinho. You can sense that he is committed to the long term. Let’s not get carried away! We will have to beat the top six teams. Saturday’s derby against the Reds comes at the best moment. Liverpool are an injured beast after their defeat at Aston Villa (2-7).”
Despite being a Premier League stalwart for 15 seasons between 2001-16 and playing 527 games for English clubs, Distin was never capped by France. When listing his current favourites at Goodison Park, he believes a couple of his compatriots are also under-appreciated in their homeland. Distin, who was almost 32 when he signed by David Moyes from Portsmouth for £5million but went on to play 210 games over six seasons for Everton – the highest single total of any of his clubs – also played under Roberto Martinez at the Blues but he believes the appointment of current boss Carlo Ancelotti underlines the ambition under Farhad Moshiri, even if he believes it’s too early to get carried away about their start to the season after seven consecutive wins.
