Ball relishes the challenge after his testing initiation 

AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL BALL

STILL only 18 and with just 30 games to his name, Michael Ball has actually experienced much of the Premiership, having faced forwards from Asprilla to Zola. On his first start of last season, the true-blue Evertonian felled Dennis Bergkamp, leaving Arsenal's celebrated Dutchman prostrate for five minutes, ignored Ian Wright's back-chat and then scored. Awe does not seem to feature in Ball's make-up, writes Henry Winter.

He has since been deputed to shadow Ryan Giggs, Steve McManaman and Keith Gillespie and has been sharing football fields with Michael Owen for 10 years. Respected on Merseyside, it is now time for Ball's committed defending with a dash of attacking dynamism to be recognised across the Premiership.

Such was Ball's development in an otherwise troubled season for Everton that the then manager, Howard Kendall, saw no problem in selling Andy Hinchcliffe, an England left-back. Ball, still eligible for the powerful youth team, finished player of the year.

Bright and forthright in the Owen mould, Ball reflects with commendable candour on his rise. "If you are coming into a side that has not been very successful, there is not going to be much pressure on you," he observes. "Say I went into Manchester United's team, they would be expecting me to show how good I am immediately and they might be disappointed."

He seems oblivious to pressure, even earning the nickname 'Ice-man' as he signalled his substantial promise with a string of good performances, notably at left-back or left wing-back.

The Opposition

"I've come up against Keith Gillespie a couple of times. It hasn't been the best of rivalry. Because I was only 18, I think he was trying to impose himself. I hit him with a hard tackle the first time and he was sort of nagging all the way through. We played Newcastle in the Cup a week later and I had totally forgotten I was playing against him. I saw him again and thought 'oh, here we go'. But it was a good battle. I like the heat of a battle.

"I have come up against David Beckham but I was playing in central midfield. I was supposed to be playing right midfield to man-mark Ryan Giggs. But the problem was Giggs was sub. We had a bit of a laugh in the changing-room when their team-sheet came in. They just moved me into the middle." Confirmation, if any were needed, of Ball's versatility. "I've tried to model my game on Paolo Maldini. He can play centre-half and on the left. He seems never to give the ball away. He has a good right foot, which I've got to improve on."

Playing host to Arsenal, Ball featured as a left-sided centre-half and wing-back. At Highbury, he started against Ray Parlour but was then switched to right-back. "I'd never really played there before and had to mark Overmars, which was a bit of a nightmare.

He said that some people feel you should mark fast wingers like Overmars tight, adding: "But then they have you on a piece of string. Overmars can pretend to go back and then go forward. I like to drop off five yards and let them run because they've still got to beat you. If you get tight and he gets behind you, then it's panic stations. If you hold him in the corner for a while, then everyone can get themselves ready."

Ball clearly thinks about his game and has been taking videos home "to help me positionally-wise". Growing up at Goodison, the native Merseysider has had some international left-backs to learn from, such as Hinchliffe, whose passing, crossing and dead-ball expertise he used to focus on in training.

Tackling, too, has never been a problem for a whole-hearted defender raised on Gwladys Street admiring Pat Van Den Hauwe. Yet Ball remains largely unemotional in action. "When I see myself on the telly, I seem almost too laid-back. I look at myself and think 'what are you doing?' But when I'm on the pitch, I feel I'm concentrating very hard, trying to make the right moves."

Lilleshall and beyond

After Lilleshall, Ball headed to Goodison and Owen to Anfield. "We keep in contact on the phone now. I haven't spoken to him for a couple of months now with the World Cup, obviously. I was pleased for him. He should have got a few more games."

As in Owen's case, age is not a concern with Ball. Both have been readily accepted by their dressing-rooms. "Everyone is so down-to-earth here. Slaven Bilic [of Croatia] obviously came back to a bit of a hero's welcome after the World Cup. Duncan Ferguson is our main hero. You only feel like one of them when you get stopped every minute in the street. You can't become a hero after one season. Michael Owen has but that's a one-off. For me to do it, I would need five or six years to get established and get in the England team."

And this season's target? "To do the same or better than last year, to be a regular for England under-21s and to try and push for the first team."