Here are your Everton morning headlines for Wednesday, 16 September.
Nkounkou ‘ready’ for Everton debut
Niels Nkounkou insists he is ready to make his Everton debut in tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Salford City.
Nkounkou joined the Blues in the summer after his contract with Marseille expired, with the 19-year-old earmarked for a stint with the club’s under-23s team.
However, Leighton Baines’ retirement has thrust Nkounkou into the limelight earlier than expected.
"It is down to the manager's decision on who is playing and who is not," he told the ECHO .
"I will find out today what happens in that regard. But what I can say is that I have been working really hard in training since I arrived here. That's all you can do - work hard in training to be ready and I can confirm I am ready if called upon.
"My first objective [when joining Everton] was to just train hard, so I could be ready whenever I was called upon. The other objective was to learn.
"I always felt I would be training with the first-team and if I do get my chance to make my debut, I just want to prove to the coaching staff and the manager that I'm a decent player and a good signing."
Kenny keen to take chance to impress Ancelotti
Like Nkounkou, Jonjoe Kenny is also set to be given the opportunity to impress Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti when the Blues take on Salford at Goodison Park.
Kenny is back on Merseyside after spending the 2019/20 season on loan at Schalke.
And the 23-year-old knows he must take his chance to stake a claim for a starting spot under Ancelotti.
"It’s up to the manager, whoever plays, but I always prepare for games the same way," said Kenny.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a friendly, a pre-season game or a competitive game – I prepare the same way.
"I need to go out there and perform. Whenever you’re playing, you have always got to give your best because if you don’t, you’ll come unstuck. That showed in pre-season.
"Against Blackpool, we weren’t at our best straight away and they put three goals past us, and that’s what can happen in football. For me, from the off, it’s about being focused and you’ve got to do what you’re good at."
Everton and hummel team up for Alan Ball trainer
Everton and hummel have teamed up to produce a limited-edition Alan Ball trainer.
The special offering goes on sale on Thursday at 8am and can be ordered via evertondirect.com only.
The shoe is a touching tribute to the boots worn by Everton legend Ball during the 1970s as the Blues won the old First Division title in 1970.
It is a white shoe with the hummel chevrons in black on the inside and outside edges.
Ball’s name is printed across the black tongue label, while there is an Everton crest and a gold hummel logo. The year ‘1970’ is printed across the back of the shoe while the insole features a gold Everton crest.
“Even after all this time people still associate white boots with my dad, which we all think is great!” said Alan’s son , Jimmy.
“My dad loved Goodison Park and we, as a family, all love getting back there too - he’d be made up at the thought of Evertonians wearing white hummel trainers now.”
