Rafa Benitez has claimed Jean-Philippe Gbamin will be an important player in the Everton squad in the coming season. The midfielder has been a key member of training sessions so far this summer after missing the majority of the last two seasons through injury. The 25-year-old was on the scoresheet in his side’s recent training match against Blackburn at Finch Farm, scoring the only goal of the game. And his new manager believes that Gbamin can now put his injuries behind him and be an important player for the squad across the 2021/22 season.
Rafa Benitez said : “You have to watch the player. He was not very lucky with injuries, now he’s showing his potential. It’s too early, you need to see players in proper games, we have to see against strong opponents how he reacts. But in terms of his attitude and in terms of his physicality, he’s doing well and I’m really pleased. He’s one of the players that can be, I don’t want to say a ‘revelation’ for us, but he can be an important player if he continues his progression in the way that he’s doing.”
The squad have been put through their paces so far in hot conditions in Florida ahead of their match against Millonarios on Sunday evening. And Benitez believes that his squad are suffering from the tough sessions, but he is pleased to see the hard work that they are putting in.
Rafa Benitez added: “I knew that the group was a good group. To come here and have these hard conditions, sometimes it was very hot in the first day, you could see especially the last part of the training session they are a little bit tired. You can see they are suffering but they are still working hard and I’m really pleased for that. I like to coach, I like to work with individuals, a group of players, the whole team. Now it’s even more important with a new team and new players, they need to understand how you want to do things.”
