At a time when they find themselves under pressure having dropped into the Premier League relegation zone after four successive defeats, the rest of Everton's squad could follow Yerry Mina and Richarlison's lead when it comes to playing football with a smile.
That's the message from the Blues head of therapy services Danny Donachie, who helps Marco Silva's squad with mindfulness.
Speaking to the Daily Mail , in a joint interview with his father, who was Everton assistant manager under Joe Royle and now coach of the Montserrat national team, Donachie said: “I feel like the young players coming up aren't well prepared for being footballers any more.
“They aren't resilient, other than the ones who've had trauma.
“The players who for me have the least anxiety about playing and the most hunger are the ones from slums in places like Brazil or Colombia — if you look at Yerry Mina and Richarlison , they love playing and they're happy every day whereas the English players, I don't really see that.”
Donachie, who is now in his second spell with Everton after working for Aston Villa as Head of Medicine and Sports Science, recalls how he used an Indian yogi called Sadhguru to help get the Blues' mindset right for a 2-0 win over Liverpool in 2010 – a result that remains their last Merseyside Derby victory to date.
He said: “Moyesy let me do it. A lot of the players were sceptical but they came and they were like puppy dogs.
“They all said they felt the most relaxed they've ever felt. We beat Liverpool 2-0 the next day and they're all singing his name in the dressing room.”
Meanwhile, Danny's dad Willie, now 68, recalls how he was able to get close to the Everton players during his own spell at Goodison Park – which began 25 years ago next month.
He said: “Joe was the manager and he allowed me to get close to the players, so I built a relationship with most of them.
“It was more as a friend rather than a boss. Your best friend should tell you if you're not doing your best, with care. Not shouting at people.
“Anders Limpar is possibly the most gifted player I've worked with and he didn't want to go out to warm up because he was too nervous.”
