Everton's New Hero Earns Himself a Club Suit Following Bournemouth Heroics
Oumar Niasse's remarkable return to Everton has seen him go from not only zero to hero, but now tracksuit to club suit, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The Senegalese striker was frozen out by Ronald Koeman last season, having played just 45 minutes in a pre-season game against FK Jablonec and was then demoted to the U23's, where he wasn't even given his own locker, whilst Romelu Lukaku smashed in 26 goals in all competitions last season as the Toffees cruised to a respectable seventh placed finish.
Meanwhile, Niasse went on loan to Hull City and despite the Tigers' relegation, proved a handful for most top flight defences. Now, with Everton struggling with no Lukaku and Wayne Rooney well past his prime, Niasse's two goals off the bench against Bournemouth, coupled with his EFL Cup goal against Sunderland, make him the club's joint top top scorer this season and suddenly he is the new hero of Goodison Park.
Now, nearly a year after not being valued enough to have his own locker, the big striker will turn up for Sunday's home fixture with Burnley with his own Everton club suit. He showed up for Saturday's win against Bournemouth in the club's track suit, likely not expecting to get much game time, but with Everton facing the prospect of another defeat without scoring, Ronald Koeman turned to his forgotten man to save the day, and he certainly did that.
Niasse has gained praise for his remarkably modest attitude about the way he was cut last season and with his treatment during his spell in the U23's: "Last year he said I wasn’t ready and maybe I wasn’t ready."
He also spoke of his work ethic to get back into the fold at Everton, as he went on to say "Even if I wasn’t on the pitch for every game or was with the U23's, I was running on the pitch like a dog.”
Before Sunday's game with high flyers Burnley, Niasse will need to help Everton keep their Europa League qualification hopes alive when they face Apollon Limassol at home on Thursday.
