Bolasie: Lukaku wanted me to come here for ages

Everton’s latest signing winger Yannick Bolasie spoke to the media ahead of Ronald Koeman’s pre-match press conference today.

He mentioned his friendship with Everton forward Romelu Lukaku -

“I know Rom from ages ago - he’s been wanting me to come here for ages but I’ve always told him that I was kind of settled where I was.

“Now I’ve taken the step and I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s a big step for myself. It was a no-brainer to come to Everton because I knew about the players here and the quality that runs throughout the Club with the training ground and supporters.

“I look at Ronald Koeman as a manager who is one of the best in the Premier League. You can see what he did at Southampton and you automatically think that he could do that for Everton as well. I do think Everton are one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.”

Bolasie also mentioned that he has been getting comfortable at Finch Farm -

“I’m settling in really quickly,” he said. “It’s a different system to Palace but once I get used to it I think I will hit the ground running, to be honest.

“I haven’t really played that much in pre-season with Palace - I’ve been in and out - but I’m getting sharper and I feel good.

“Competition is part of football. The higher you go the more competition you are going to get. But that kind of stuff, I look forward to.

“I’ve been grafting for ages now. It’s nothing new. It’s also good because it keeps you on your toes.

“What I find is that I’ll probably get the ball in better areas and cause more damage.

“When I think about the price tag it hasn’t hit me. When someone says 25 or 28 I just think I’m here to play football. I come and enjoy the game.

“I’ve only been here three days but I’ve seen the quality. I know what’s achievable. I’ve not had time to reflect but my family go through where I started and it makes me think I’ve come a long way.”

He was also asked about where he felt his strengths lie -

“I’d say left is where I am most comfortable and where people would see me do most of my magic.”