Demarai Gray: I've found my purpose after overcoming dark period

I would be tempted to start with more or less the same team as last week but make early changes if it isn't going to plan.

A lot of people, not necessarily on here, just football fans in general, point to the money these players are on and they should just get on with it as they're privileged. That's just the market rate, whether we agree with it or not. And we contribute to funding it through our attendance at matches, memberships and various TV subscriptions.

They've worked since childhood for that privilege and sacrificed a normal life and the simple things we take for granted, as I've said on a few occasions. I don't think we always acknowledge that.

Linked to this, I've often wondered over the years if their lifestyle contributes to some of the addictions we've seen in the game. Especially with the advent of online gambling and betting applications. Young people with a lot of money and a lot of time on their hands that they can't do a lot with to occupy themselves. I would imagine a lot of them suffer from sheer boredom. I guess in Demarai's situation the pandemic contributed even more as it did to many millions.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts. Good on him for an honest interview. It's always good to speak about problems rather than bottle them up.

As a footballer, I like Demarai. He's a threat and with his pace, I would imagine a worry for any full-back. He's also got good feet if you watch him closely. Very honest and hard working. I wish he'd get his head up more often and look for the pass and not try to win it on his own, but then again, what options have been in front of late? But that's a part of his game he could improve.

Demarai Gray Ole.

And the fighting! Somehow not a surprise. Even 'Dom had one' – risking his modelling career there.

Seamus will have a great book to write when he packs up, blowing the lid on all that chaos. He's got the title already, '60 Grand: Playing Football the Everton Way' by Seamus Coleman. (Can I copyright that?)

Fans, in general, just don't seem to understand that the rich and famous footballers are still just human beings... and we all have our personal problems to deal with. Money doesn't solve everything.

I've always liked Dimi and, despite his obvious limitations, I think he's been a really good signing for us. Especially when you consider he only cost ٟ.7M – basically a free transfer in today's market.

He's the type who will infuriate you but also entertain you.

The criticism of the likes of Calvert-Lewin has been brutal at times but those same people will be celebrating like the rest of us when he comes good.

I think Gray has done okay lately, his first instinct is to move the ball forward and he put the cross of the game in last week against Fulham; a less rusty Dom will bury that tonight.

Mina may not be prepared to play through pain, but you only have to look at him to know he is more than capable of inflicting it.

I shouldn't be delighted to hear that our players were fighting among themselves during an extremely tense situation. But I am.

Gray for me is the most exciting player we have, but there is a touch of the Alex Young about him. I don't mean he is as talented as the Golden one, but sometimes he is inexplicably poor. This article goes some way to explaining why.

I bet the bookies will be busy today with lots of Blues lining up to back him to score against his old club. After reading this, I'll be in that queue…

Get it out there and move on rather than sit there placidly thinking "We done okay" or worse, individuals thinking it wasn't their fault. Okay, we don't want it to get to gumshield and gloves stage, but it is sometimes a good thing to criticise. We all do it as mates and family when it's needed.

You see glimpses of it from Reid and Ratcliffe on Howard's Way. I'm sure more went on behind the scenes.

Anyway, good luck with that bet. I'll be joining you.

I also learned that the players were pissed-off to hear that they are to travel to Australia, on Business Class and not on private jet. Poor little things!

And a few other nuggets too!

However, I applaud footballers coming out and talking about these issues relating to mental health. We tend to see them differently because of the privilege and the worship. But, as Danny eloquently points out above, they are just human beings, why can't they have mental health problems like the rest of the world?

As a psychotherapist, it really gets my goat the way some fans on here and in general just dismiss that; it's so invalidating. Here is the truth, there is physical health and there is mental health, we all have both, they just fluctuate and are both intrinsically linked. Who the hell are we to tell someone (just because they are good at football) that they have to get on with it because they play for our team?

I don't know Demarai's story but many of these lads grew up in tough environments and conditions. Football was their only escape, why would that mean they didn't come home to violence or neglect?

Good on ya, fella, now back the winner today or else I'll be back to calling you a useless shitbag! :)

He always wants to do one extra step over, or beat the same man twice, but his biggest fault is not looking up to deliver a pass. If he sorts this out, we will have a brilliant player on our hands.

I also agree that he played his best football under Benitez, and as Gray said, he had more of a free role under Benitez. I personally think he is wasted playing out wide where he can be closely marked; I would much prefer to see him in the Number 10 role.

I think our goal against Palace showed why he should play in the 10 role: after we passed the ball out of defence, Iwobi found Gray who was a lot more central, he turned inside, wrong-footed their defence, and laid the ball off to Onana, who played in Mykolenko, whose shot was turned in by Gordon.

As one of the midfielders needs to come off the bench, IMO it should be Gordon. You mentioned Benitez and it looks like he was right (certainly at the moment) that Gordon runs out out steam for a full game. I also think that Gray is wasted out wide.

Having moved great distances for work several times myself, far further than UK to Germany, I always asked about housing, schools, travel and removal costs and who met what, admittedly not during a pandemic, but either he or his agent should have been asking.

I like Gray and he deserves his place in the first 11, he's skilful and drives forward at every opportunity, and is a nightmare for fullbacks. Love to see him doing well today against his old club.

I remember myself going through a hard time with my mental health as a young man and it was really tough to open up to anyone because it was just not the done thing and you have to somehow get through on your own and so its refreshing nowadays that men are openly talking about mental health.

As for all that social media bollocks, it's an ego trip and nothing more and it's good to see he has seen right through it. Family and good friends are what these young players need around them.

It's up to the coaches and senior players to have a word with him now so we can get the best out of him. Get him focused and playing in the right position and we'd have one hell of a player.

On the personal choice thing, I too spent a lot of time moving around. Sometimes the family came with me but for a total of 10 years (not all at once), they stayed put and I went, commuting home at weekends and whenever else I could.

We decided in 2004 that the family would settle given the amount of time I would spend away and that was the case until I left in 2016. It made more sense for me to give them stability in terms of house and schools.

I got fed up of uprooting my son every 2 to 3 years. Changing schools and friends, my wife having to give up and then find new employment in a different area. Either way, not an easy decision to make, but we opted for stability for the family.

I went off and done my thing, which in a way protected them because had I uprooted them for the umpteenth time and taken them to another unfamiliar area, they wouldn't have seen much of me anyway.

It's all down to personal circumstances. Unlike when I lived in Germany in British communities with British schools, I would imagine taking his wife and son to Germany with a foreign language they may not speak, would have seriously uprooted them and been a challenge in a different kind of way.

He's a player who is full of talent, and plays more maturely now, a bit more composed on the ball. I still feel like there is more to come from him end product wise. Same goes for Gordon, the talent is there, but it's the end product that has to be worked on and improved. It also must be consistently good and managers don't have an awful lot of time to wait patiently for it.

Demarai will thrive on the stability Everton can give him but ultimately it's down to him to produce the goods to make sure he stays as a first choice starter.

Remember when you're down and feeling low when your wheel turns, whichever way, you start to move back up.