Oumar Niasse collected his man-of-the-match award and left Goodison Park wearing an Everton tracksuit on Saturday. Nothing remarkable there – he is, despite Ronald Koeman’s best efforts, still an Everton player after all – although the striker’s attire underlined the speed of his transformation from outcast to saviour. Unlike his team-mates, Niasse does not have a club suit to wear.
The Senegal international was not part of Koeman’s squad when they were fitted for suits in the summer but Everton have ordered one for their £13.5m signing in time for Burnley’s visit on Sunday. It is the least they can do. The manager should ensure it is tailored to perfection, and leave a thank you note in the pocket.
Goodison was an uncomfortable place for Koeman until around 4.30pm on Saturday, its anger rising over another disjointed team selection and another laboured performance that sailed close to a damaging defeat by Bournemouth. Jordan Pickford’s save from Jermain Defoe, minutes after Josh King had driven the visitors ahead, proved a pivotal moment. To the manager’s credit he took decisive action and introduced Niasse, Tom Davies and Jonjoe Kenny. All three contributed more than the players they replaced and Everton were repaid with a first win in five Premier League games.
Niasse was rewarded for his attitude and application in the face of the manager’s cold shoulder with two invaluable goals and a hero’s ovation. He also had an open goal to respond to Koeman’s treatment of him last season. He chose to miss. “Honestly, I don’t want to go over the past with him,” the 27-year-old said. “There is nothing to say about that. He just said this was a new opportunity for me and he wanted to look at me again.
“Last year he said I wasn’t ready and maybe I wasn’t ready. I went to the under-23s and learned more and learned I have to work hard. Maybe that has helped me get to this position now because football is hard, it is very difficult. I went away, I learned and I have come back stronger. I tried just to keep my head on me, to not lose it, and the best way to do that is to just keep working hard. Even if I wasn’t on the pitch for every game or was with the under-23s, I was running on the pitch like a dog.”
The Everton striker was told to leave the club after a 45‑minute appearance in Koeman’s first pre‑season friendly in the summer of 2016 and ostracised to the under-23s when he did not, before a successful loan spell at Hull City. “It is not only football – life is like that,” he said. “You have to have a strong mind and a strong mentality. I know where I am from and where I want to go. It is not a case of something bad happening and so I give up. I kept saying to myself: ‘Anything can happen.’ It was a hard time with the under-23s and seeing my team-mates enjoying the games here without me. I was with the under-23s instead, travelling and playing at empty stadiums, but that’s life.
“You have to keep working hard and keep in your mind that anything can happen. That’s what I did. Today is good but you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I just have to stay strong and get stronger.”
Koeman may have been indebted to Niasse’s contribution against Bournemouth – one that left Eddie Howe visibly devastated as the chairman, Jeff Mostyn, tried to console him afterwards – but he refused to accept he may have erred in his treatment of the forward last season. “He did have a locker,” the Everton manager claimed. “There are a lot of stories.
“At that time I preferred to play with other strikers and we had other players in that position. The situation for him was really difficult. That is the past now. I try to be honest and try to be straight and if someone deserves the opportunity he will get it. That is not just for Oumar but all the players. I don’t have any problem with Oumar because I spoke with him before the transfer window ended and said: ‘OK, you will get your chance with the first team. Work hard and get your chance.’ That is what he did, his attitude was perfect.”
Niasse, however, will not get the opportunity to score in a third consecutive game for Everton when Apollon Limassol arrive in the Europa League on Thursday. He was not included in Koeman’s squad list when it was submitted to Uefa on 5 September. Like the suit, Niasse must wait for that one.