Everton

Everton and Brazil forward Richarlison has opened up about his adoration of fellow countryman Ronaldo and said he "just froze" the first time he met the two-time FIFA World Cup-winner.

The 22-year-old has become a household name after two seasons in the Premier League, but it wasn't long ago that he was awestruck after a run-in with "El Fenomeno."

Richarlison told the Daily Mail's Ian Ladyman he was lost for words after meeting Ronaldo at a sponsor event two years ago:

"I didn't know what to do at the time. I just froze. My friend had to tell me to have a photo with him. I have it in my house now. You have your role model and he is suddenly right in front of you. You have idolised him as a child and then there he is. It was a crazy moment. I still watch the videos every day but I also watch some of my goals too."

Ronaldo was only 17 when he left Cruzeiro for PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1994, going on to represent Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan before he returned to Brazil near the end of his career.

Richarlison had just turned 20 when he left Fluminense to join Watford in August 2017, earning a move to Goodison Park two years later for a fee that could rise to £50 million.

He's gone on to score six times in 19 senior caps for Brazil and has earned the attention of Europe's giants. Sky Sports reported late in the January transfer window that Everton had rejected an £85 million bid for their player from Barcelona (though the seriousness of that offer has raised doubts).

Richarlison is following in his idol's footsteps as far as his importance to Everton is concerned, and the attacker celebrated a last-gasp 3-2 winner away at former club Watford on February 1.

The versatile asset has scored 24 times and recorded six assists in 66 appearances for the Toffees, who have been particularly glad to see him hit the mark amid a series of other less successful transfers. 

Everton spent considerable sums to acquire the likes of Moise Kean, Alex Iwobi and Jean-Philippe Gbamin last summer, but Richarlison is the club's greatest transfer success among their higher-profile signings of late.

OptaJoe highlighted Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe (45) and Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho (23) as the only players aged 22 or younger to beat his 21 non-penalty goals since the start of 2018-19 (in Europe's top five leagues).

Richarlison has impressed when given his chance in the Selecao squad under Tite, though his involvement may come into question when PSG ace Neymar is back available for full selection.

That being said, the Merseyside-based star has time on his hands to replicate Ronaldo's success at the top, and he has another chance to dazzle when Everton play host to Crystal Palace on Saturday.  

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he attempted to sign Toffees striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin while he was manager at Napoli.

Calvert-Lewin, 22, has already set new personal bests for Premier League goals (eight) and goals in a single campaign (10) this season, and he's enjoying the most prolific spell of his budding career.

He scored twice to lead Everton to a 2-1 win at Newcastle United on Saturday, after which Ancelotti said he'd been tracking the Sheffield native for some time in Naples, per Phil Kirkbride of the Liverpool Echo: "He was a player we followed as a young striker, he was one of the players we followed but there was no possibility (to sign him). There are a lot of people who have eyes on him."

Ancelotti's comments hint he knows of clubs hoping to acquire the former England under-21 international, who slotted home his third brace of the season in all competitions at St James' Park (UK viewers only):

Calvert-Lewin has now played the full 90 minutes in each of Everton's last five Premier League games, which is positive for his development. Moise Kean's £29 million move from Juventus this past summer suggested Calvert-Lewin's game time may be limited, but he has led the line with confidence over the festive period.

Kean and Calvert-Lewin showed promise starting alongside one another for the first time in the league at Newcastle:

Thank you for all your messages of support this week 😁 Together we are stronger! Everyone have a great New Years 🥂 UTT 💙 pic.twitter.com/5XXYiHsKV2

— Dominic Calvert-Lewin (@CalvertLewin14) December 29, 2019

Ancelotti is unbeaten after two games in the Everton dugout, though that record will undergo a major test when they visit defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Wednesday. 

Everton assistant manager Duncan Ferguson appeared to improve the team during his short stint as caretaker manager following Marco Silva's dismissal at the beginning of December.

It's since Silva's departure that Calvert-Lewin has received a real run in the starting lineup, and Squawka noted he seems to be enjoying his football under Ancelotti in particular:

Everton have now scored three Premier League goals under Carlo Ancelotti:

⚽️ Dominic Calvert-Lewin
⚽️ Dominic Calvert-Lewin
⚽️ Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Now that's a No.9. pic.twitter.com/Xi38tzQFrw

— Squawka (@Squawka) December 28, 2019

Men In Blazers host Roger Bennett lauded the forward's surge into scoring form, not to mention the rising confidence that's been more evident in his play:

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s emergence has been humanly gratifying to witness. Not just the 5 goals in 5 games. But the tenacity to keep believing in himself when so many doubted him. Just 22-years old, he remains a work in progress, but now takes the field with confidence surging 🙌 pic.twitter.com/P5KdK1V2Ik

— roger bennett (@rogbennett) December 28, 2019

Moving to a club like Napoli might have appealed to Calvert-Lewin more so in the summer, but his recent streak of scoring form will have reinvigorated his self-belief to become a Premier League hit.

He leads Everton's scorer charts this season and only appears to be improving under Ancelotti, who hopes his recent heroics in front of goal continue at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.  

New Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he might give him a call and see if he wants to visit the city. 

The Italian had his introductory press conference on Monday and was asked whether there was the possibility the veteran forward would join, per Greg O'Keeffe of The Athletic:

Ancelotti: “Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a good friend of mine and I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of good players. I don’t know his plans but I’ll have to call him and see if he wants to come to Liverpool..but not to play!” #zlatan #efc #Ancelotti

— Greg O'Keeffe (@GregOK) December 23, 2019

The 38-year-old is available on a free transfer after announcing his departure from L.A. Galaxy at the end of the MLS season. He's been linked with a host of clubs since, dropping periodic hints along the way.

He told GQ Italia (h/t Corriere della Sera, via Football Italia) he will return to Italy, but his agent Mino Raiola walked back those comments in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t AS) just days later.

La Reppublica (h/t AS' Jonathan Meaney) has linked him to the likes of AC Milan, Napoli and Tottenham Hotspur. Ancelotti said the Partenopei were "waiting" for the Swede while he was still in charge of the club.

ESPN FC discussed whether a reunion at Goodison Park would make sense:

The two worked together at Paris Saint-Germain, where the former Sweden international played arguably the best football of his career. The Toffees could use another ace striker to help salvage their season, having scored just 20 Premier League goals so far.

Richarlison (six) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (five) lead the way for Everton, while Bernard (two) is the only other player who has found the net more than once. Those are dreadful numbers and part of the reason the Toffees find themselves just four points above the relegation zone.

Ancelotti has his eye on compatriot Moise Kean as a possible solution, however, and revealed he tried to sign him while at Napoli, per Patrick Boyland of The Athletic:

CA on Kean: Moise Kean did really well last year. I tried to sign him for Napoli. He is a really good player, with fantastic talent. He is 19 years old and there is an adaptation period. We will work with him to improve."

— Patrick Boyland (@Paddy_Boyland) December 23, 2019

The 19-year-old arrived amid much fanfare in the summer after a promising spell with Juventus but has failed to catch on in the Premier League so far. He has made just two starts in the league and has yet to score for his new club.

Ancelotti appears to be a fan of the Italian, however, and new opportunities may be about to open up. Kean scored six goals in 13 total appearances in Serie A last season, and he also scored on his two first starts for the national team, against Finland and Liechtenstein.

The new manager also confirmed that former interim boss, Duncan Ferguson, will be staying on with the team after he led Everton to a win and two draws in his three Premier League matches in charge. 

Carlo Ancelotti wants to make Everton a UEFA Champions League club. The Italian has lifted the famous trophy three times during his illustrious managerial career, and he's already outlined his desire to take the Toffees to a similar level.

Ancelotti told Evertontv (h/t FourFourTwo): "The goal is there to reach the Champions League or Europa League. Winning honours has to be the dream for this club and for the supporters. I am here to try to do this. Our goal is to be competitive in the Premier League, to be towards the top of the table, to be competitive in Europe."

While Ancelotti urged caution about how long it will take to realise his aim, getting Everton into Europe is still a lofty ambition. The scale of the job in front of him is summed up by the Merseyside club sitting 15th in the Premier League and just four points above the bottom three.

Ancelotti got a first-hand look at how much work needs to be done when he sat in the stands for Saturday's 0-0 draw with Arsenal at Goodison Park. The 60-year-old had only been officially appointed mere hours before kick-off:

🔵 | Introducing the new manager of Everton Football Club, @MrAncelotti! #WelcomeMrAncelotti pic.twitter.com/zNNoix8H5R

— Everton (@Everton) December 21, 2019

Securing Ancelotti's services on a four-and-a-half-year contract is more than a coup for Everton. It's a statement of intent from majority stakeholder Farhad Moshiri about his determination to get the club back up to heights not experienced since the 1980s.

Ancelotti's track record shows he's the right man for the job. Aside from winning a hat-trick of Champions League trophies during spells with AC Milan and Real Madrid, he also won a league and FA Cup double with Chelsea in 2010.

League crowns with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also part of a CV most managers can only dream of boasting, despite his dismissal from Napoli earlier this month:

Everton got themselves a serial winner 🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/0wDRrPyHt5

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2019

One doubt about how Ancelotti will transfer his skills to Everton concerns his ability to build a winning team. He's often had the luxury of inheriting elite-level players, including Andrea Pirlo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria, Frank Lampard and Arjen Robben, during his career.

However, Ancelotti has also shown a shrewd eye for hidden talent and how to deploy it. He changed Pirlo's role from an attacking midfielder to a deep-lying playmaker with the Rossoneri and also acquired a young Marco Verratti for PSG.

There is quality to work with in the Everton ranks, particularly in the form of creators Richarlison, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bernard. How Ancelotti can fit them into the same formation will be key to his success.

He'll also need to get more from misfiring striker Moise Kean, a disappointment since his arrival for an initial £29 million from Juventus this summer.

Moise Kean averaged a goal every 89 minutes in Serie A last season.

His Everton career should really begin under Ancelotti. 🤞 pic.twitter.com/P3BP9tNYhs

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 21, 2019

If Ancelotti can motivate key players to consistently perform, Everton will soon become a threat to the European places. The process needs to begin quickly, with a daunting run of fixtures facing the new Toffees boss:

Mikel Arteta's first 5 games in charge of Arsenal:

Bournemouth (A)
Chelsea (H)
Man Utd (H)
Leeds (H)
Crystal Palace (A)

Carlo Ancelotti's first 5 games in charge of Everton:

Burnley (H)
Newcastle (A)
Man City (A)
Liverpool (A)
Brighton (H) pic.twitter.com/Hg4gmZU1iQ

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) December 21, 2019

Games against Manchester City and local rivals, league leaders and Champions League holders Liverpool will show Ancelotti the standards he needs to meet. Meanwhile, success in the FA Cup also represents a path to Europe for a man with a rich pedigree in tournament football.

Ancelotti's history gives Everton fans reason to believe the club may soon return to the Champions League for the first time since 2005.

Everton appointed Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager on Saturday on a deal that will keep him at Goodison Park until 2024.

The three-time UEFA Champions League-winning manager was confirmed as Marco Silva's permanent successor before the Toffees' meeting with Arsenal:

🔵 | Introducing the new manager of Everton Football Club, @MrAncelotti! #WelcomeMrAncelotti pic.twitter.com/zNNoix8H5R

— Everton (@Everton) December 21, 2019

Excited to share the news that I am joining Everton FC. I am delighted to be back in the Premier League and to be part of this historic club. Thank you for your trust in me. #WelcomeMrAncelotti #EFC #COYB pic.twitter.com/13yhM5iHnK

— Carlo Ancelotti (@MrAncelotti) December 21, 2019

He told the club's official website he will keep caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson among his coaching staff: 

"This is a great club with a rich history and a very passionate fanbase. There is a clear vision from the owner and the board to deliver success and trophies. That is something that appeals to me as a manager and I am thrilled at the prospect of being able to work with everybody at the club to help make that vision a reality.

"I have seen from the performances in the last two weeks that the players are capable of so much. The work Duncan has done is a great credit to him. Strong organisation, strong discipline and the right motivation are some of the key ingredients in football and I'm pleased that he will be part of my backroom team moving forward."

Ferguson had been caretaker since Silva was sacked in early December, and he oversaw a win against Chelsea and a draw with Manchester United. The Toffees were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday by Leicester City in a penalty shootout. 

Ancelotti was relieved of his duties as Napoli manager on December 10 after a poor start to the 2019-20 Serie A season, although he did guide the Partenopei through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The Athletic's Simon Hughes and football journalist Chris Williams hailed his appointment:

Incredible appointment by Everton. Automatically lifts the status of the club. Can understand questions around whether he’s exactly what they need but in the absence of outstanding young managers who really fit the bill, you can’t fault them for getting one of the best there is.

— Simon Hughes (@Simon_Hughes__) December 21, 2019

https://twitter.com/Chris78Williams/status/1208352198465347585

The 60-year-old has one of the most impressive CVs in football.

As well as Napoli, he has managed Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, winning league titles in Italy, England, France and Germany.

The Italian's most impressive achievement as a coach, though, is his record of three Champions League triumphs. Only two other managers, Bob Paisley and Zinedine Zidane, have achieved the same feat.

At Everton, however, Ancelotti has a different kind of task on his hands:

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1206897668003422208

Rather than contending for titles, he will need to guide the Toffees away from the relegation battle—they sit 16th, just three points clear of the drop zone—and into the top half of the table.

Despite Everton's poor start to the season, the congestion in the Premier League's mid-table means the Merseysiders are not out of the running for the European spots.

If Ancelotti can oversee a run of wins at Goodison Park, he could yet make a success of the 2019-20 campaign.

He'll be in the stands for Everton's clash with Arsenal on Saturday. As will former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta, who took charge of the Gunners on Friday. Ancelotti's first game in charge will be at home to Burnley on Boxing Day.

Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly agreed to become the next manager of Everton, and could soon be confirmed as Marco Silva's replacement.

The Toffees are currently under interim manager Duncan Ferguson, with the Scot recently taking charge of the Premier League games against Chelsea and Manchester United.

Sky Sports News reported on Monday Ancelotti has "an agreement in principle" to take over on Merseyside.

However, the Daily Mail's Dominic King tweeted further talks are expected before an announcement.

Everton and Carlo Ancelotti: it is not done, he is not on Merseyside. Talks would not take place in Liverpool, as board based in London.
However... Ancelotti is due in London and face-to-face talks are planned with Farhad Moshiri.
Moshiri has previously held talks with Moyes

— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) December 16, 2019

Ancelotti was sacked on Tuesday as Napoli coach after a disappointing run of seven Serie A matches without a win.

The Italian has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and AC Milan.

Ancelotti also has Premier League experience as Chelsea manager, winning the title and FA Cup during his two-year spell at Stamford Bridge.

Everton have seen an upturn in performance since Silva's exit, and the 3-1 win at home to Chelsea underlined their potential. The Toffees then drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Sunday. 

Ancelotti's potential arrival would provide the club with a world-class operator as they seek to climb the table.

The capture of the 60-year-old would be a major coup for the Merseyside club as they attempt to live up to expectations after a disappointing campaign so far. Everton currently lie 16th in the league, just three points above the relegation zone.

Vitor Pereira has said he will not be taking the reins at Everton, with the former Porto coach withdrawing as a potential candidate.

The 51-year-old is currently in charge of Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG and has confirmed his desire to stay with the team, telling Sky Sports:

"It's always an honour, and I am utterly grateful to be considered on a list by a club that I have so much respect for.

"At this point, I am still the coach of SIPG, a club close to my heart in a country that is growing immensely in football.

"Currently, I am not in a position to make any other commitments. I cannot decide now. I need time to think and plan my future by looking at all the options I have.

"It's a league I love, and yes, for sure, I would love to consider an opportunity in the future."

According to Sky Sports, Everton reportedly wanted to announce Pereira as their new coach before Sunday's Premier League visit to Manchester United. However, the Shanghai club are believed to have offered the former Olympiacos and Fenerbahce coach a £25 million-per-year deal to stay in China.

Duncan Ferguson was installed as caretaker boss after the sacking of Marco Silva on Friday. Everton lost Silva's last league game 5-2 at Liverpool, but the Toffees recovered to beat Chelsea 3-1 on Saturday under former striker Ferguson.

The Scot could now be given more time on Merseyside to guide a club where he's an established hero. Ferguson spent two successful spells at Everton as a player and remains hugely popular with the Goodison faithful.

According to The Athletic (h/t Adam Powers of the Daily Express), Everton's board are at loggerheads as to who to appoint as Silva's successor. Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri reportedly wants to install a big-name international coach, but chairman Bill Kenwright prefers to hire a homegrown British manager.

Ferguson could fit the profile, and his immediate success against Chelsea will have turned heads behind the scenes.

Unai Emery has reportedly been approached by Everton as the Toffees search for a permanent successor for Marco Silva.

According to Sky Sports News, Emery, who was sacked as Arsenal head coach at the end of November, has asked for more time to consider his options after an "informal meeting" was held with Everton representatives in London over the vacant manager's position at Goodison Park.

Silva was sacked by Everton after last week's 5-2 Merseyside derby defeat against Liverpool:

"I'm surprised the trigger wasn’t pulled earlier because results have been that poor."

Marco Silva was sacked by #EFC after 18 months in charge. @johncrossmirror says "it was only a matter of time" 👇 pic.twitter.com/c04EH4kcTA

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) December 6, 2019

The Portuguese manager had been in charge for 18 months and left the club lying in the Premier League's relegation zone. Interim boss Duncan Ferguson oversaw a 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday that lifted the Toffees out of the drop zone:

Leicester keep up the chase#PL pic.twitter.com/4BVFbub25I

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 8, 2019

Emery, meanwhile, left Arsenal late last month after a seven-game winless run in all competitions and the Gunners' worst-ever Premier League start:

@Arsenal’s fewest points after 13 PL games

2019-20 18
1994-95 19
2012-13 20
2014-15 20
2006-07 22 pic.twitter.com/ylQhK2Hp9c

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) November 23, 2019

It brought to a close an 18-month spell for the Spaniard at the Emirates Stadium after his appointment as Arsene Wenger's successor in May 2018.

The 48-year-old was unable to get Arsenal back into the UEFA Champions League after they finished fifth in the Premier League last season. He did, though, oversee an improvement of seven points from Wenger's final campaign in charge.

A poor start to 2019-20, combined with off-field issues including the sacking of Granit Xhaka as captain, made his post untenable. He has been succeeded by Freddie Ljungberg on an interim basis, and the Swede has fared little better, leading the Gunners to a draw at Norwich City and a defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Other than his final days at Arsenal, Emery's CV is largely impressive, and he could be a decent fit for a club of Everton's profile.

At Paris Saint-Germain from 2016 to 2018, he won a Ligue 1 title and six other domestic trophies. Most eye-catching are his three consecutive UEFA Europa League wins with Sevilla between 2014 and 2016.

Marco Silva has been sacked as manager of Everton.

The Toffees announced the decision on Thursday with Everton sitting in 18th in the Premier League table after a dreadful start to the 2019-20 campaign.

The 5-2 loss to local rivals Liverpool proved to be the final straw for Everton's power-brokers, with the Toffees suffering nine defeats from their first 15 games of the campaign.

Afterward, the Portuguese was coy on questions regarding his future:

Marco Silva responded to questions about his future at Everton after the 5-2 defeat to Liverpool #LIVEVE pic.twitter.com/AcD5jslFwO

— Everton FC News (@LivEchoEFC) December 4, 2019

Many expected Everton to be challengers for a top-six berth this season after a strong end to the previous term when they beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. However, despite spending big on the likes of Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi in the summer, they have toiled.

Everton have lost 2-0 to all three newly promoted teams and failed to settle on a consistent setup. Kean, who arrived from Juventus amid much hype, has been underutilised, starting just two Premier League games.

While wins over West Ham United and Southampton hinted at a turnaround in fortunes, the team have underperformed for too long, and the club opted to act.

Per Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph, there are also doubts regarding those who have been tipped as possible replacements:

Who is the ideal (next) EFC manager?
Moyes? “Shouldn’t go back.”
Dyche? “Big Sam Jr”
Howe? “Too much like Martinez.”
Benitez? “Still a red & who is paying him £12m a year?”
Pochettino? “You’re deluded”
Hughes? “Are you taking the f&%8@n piss?”https://t.co/tGDdXcZe5N

— Chris Bascombe (@_ChrisBascombe) November 25, 2019

Dave Downie of BBC Sport was critical of the club following the embarrassing Merseyside derby loss:

“Too good to go down.”
“We’ll always turn it around.”
“We do ok against the better teams.”

People need to get real here. It’s irrelevant how much you rate those players, they’re an utter shambles and right now Everton are a bottom three side. #EFC

— Dave Downie (@daviddownie17) December 4, 2019

According to Andy Hunter of the Guardian, Everton have considered ex-manager David Moyes as a possible replacement, with Tim Cahill poised to potentially come in as his assistant.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, who is an Everton supporter, is also said to be in the frame, per Sky Sports.

Everton forward Richarlison has signed a contract extension with the club until 2024, it was confirmed on Tuesday. 

News of the extension came via the club's official Twitter account, with the Brazil international committing his future to the Goodison Park outfit:

🗣 | "I try to pay back the Evertonians' affection. I try to sweat blood and tears for this Club. I intend to continue honouring the shirt."

💙 you, @richarlison97. #EFC pic.twitter.com/UVL59CXq6K

— Everton (@Everton) December 3, 2019

In an accompanying statement, Richarlison said he's pleased with the way he's developed on Merseyside and also praised the influence of the club's under-fire manager Marco Silva:

"The supporters have a lot of affection for me and I try to give back all this affection as much as possible on the pitch. I go out and put my life on the line for them. I try to sweat blood and tears for this club. I intend to continue honouring the shirt and making the fans happy.

"... My development and progress is clear for everyone to see and Marco Silva has been part of that. He has my trust and the trust of the whole group. It's us on the pitch and we are looking to help him as much as possible because Marco Silva is an excellent person."

The 22-year-old posted the following on his own Twitter account after signing the extension:

Thank you for your trust and love @Everton and all evertonians! It's a pleasure and an honor to be able to wear this shirt and to know that we can have an even longer journey together. Love you all! 💙 pic.twitter.com/ybgV8IILKJ

— Richarlison Andrade (@richarlison97) December 3, 2019

There has been some speculation about the player's future. Silva confirmed before the player's contract had been signed that it's "not just Manchester United" that have shown an interest; Barcelona were mentioned as possible suitors earlier in the year.

Richarlison has enjoyed an impressive spell at Everton following his transfer in the summer of 2018.

While eyebrows were raised when a deal was agreed for Everton to sign him from Watford for a potential £50 million in 2018, the Selecao star has made major strides in his game.

Per Squawka Football, he has been a consistent goalscorer for the Toffees, with his most recent coming in the 2-1 loss to Leicester City on Sunday in the Premier League:

Richarlison has scored more goals in the Premier League (17) than any other Everton player since the start of the 2018/19 season.

Tied down. ✍️ https://t.co/Seot3o2yu0

— Squawka (@Squawka) December 3, 2019

Richarlison has also shone on the international stage with six goals in 19 appearances for Brazil's senior team. He netted from the penalty spot in the country's 3-1 Copa America final success over Peru in the summer.

Everton supporters will hope the news gives their star forward and the team a much-needed boost ahead of the Merseyside derby with Liverpool on Wednesday.

The Toffees have endured a torrid start to the campaign, as they sit in 17th place in the Premier League table. By contrast, their local rivals have raced into an eight-point lead at the summit of the top-flight standings.