Florian Lejeune says that his heroics have given even more appetite to kick on with Newcastle United this season.
The French defender has spent two stints on the sidelines with serious knee problems and is still easing his way back into life in the Premier League.
Lejeune was handed an unexpected role as match saviour at Goodison Park after finding himself thrown on as part of a damage limitation exercise before netting two goals.
The brace also showed that the centre-back has the ability to bounce back from adversity after having a shocker against Leicester City at the start of the year.
The former Eibar man said: "The fans were fantastic for me, I know it has been difficult in the last two weeks.
"I played in four games (over Christmas) and two in 48 hours. It was difficult for me.
"I'm not happy with my game against Leicester because I made some errors. But it is football, and I'm happy for everybody now."
And reflecting on his injury comeback, Lejeune said: "It was difficult for me.
"But, I’m strong in my head.
"I’m happy for my body because the knee is good... and I want to play more."
