Onana — “I grew as a man at Everton”

Amadou Onana has spoken of how his experience playing through Everton's emotional battles against relegation has shaped him ahead of his reunion with the Blues at Villa Park this evening.

The Belgian midfielder comes face-to-face with his former team-mates for the first time since he signed for Aston Villa in a £50m deal when Sean Dyche takes his team to Birmingham for a televised clash on Sky Sports.

Onana played 63 times for Everton over two seasons after arriving from Lille in the summer of 2022 and played his part as Dyche first steered the Club to Premier League safety on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Goodison Park and then overcame the challenges of two points deductions and a club-record winless run in 2023-24.

"I learned a lot at Everton," he says in The Mirror. I grew up there as a man and a player, so it is always special to play against lads you know.

"What do I mean? Playing in a relegation battle, staying in the Premier League… that last game against Bournemouth.

‌"That shapes you as a man in terms of dealing with pressure and getting on with things. That’s why I say I grew as a man.

"You know, that Bournemouth game… that was heavy. Even talking about it now, I get goosebumps. It was a big moment.

“Everton is a big club and belongs in the Premier League, so it was quite emotional.”

 

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