Demarai Gray has vowed to devote the best years of his career to Everton and hailed the man management skills of Rafa Benitez.
The Blues completed the signing of Gray from Bayer Leverkusen on a three-year deal last month, and he immediately linked up with his new teammates in the US.
Gray went on to make a decisive contribution in his first appearance for the Blues as his new side claimed the Florida Cup after beating Millonarios on penalties.
Having replaced James Rodriguez at the break in Orlando, Gray drew his side level from the penalty spot after Andres Llinas had opened the scoring in the first half.
The former Leicester City man has continued to impress in pre-season and is no doubt pushing for a start in Saturday’s Premier League opener against Southampton.
And speaking on his time at Goodison Park so far, Gray has admitted he is yet to take part in a session where he hasn’t been handed advice on things to improve on by his new boss.
“I don’t think there’s been a training session yet where Rafa hasn’t told me something I can improve,” he told evertonfc.com. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I don’t want to be told what I am good at – everyone knows what they are good at. I want to be told what I can work on.
“I am happy I have a manager like that, an honest manager. I am confident I am going to improve with him.
“For me, it is about achieving consistency and scoring goals and being productive at the top end of the pitch.
“I am an attacker and that is what I am paid to do: put the ball in the net and help create goals for the team, help the team get points.
“I genuinely have a good feeling I am going to progress with Everton and the next few years are going to be some of my best.”
Gray has also confirmed that Everton’s players will continue to take the knee before games, but believes more needs to be done to protect black players representing their country.
His plea comes just weeks after Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were all subject to horrific online racist abuse following England’s defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.
He said: “We are going on the knee – but the people giving abuse from behind a screen don’t care.
“I am all for being involved and showing it is a good cause – but you see what happened to the boys who missed the penalties – and there is your answer.
“Young, black English players – and kids – will see the abuse and may not want to play for England, which is sad.
“No mother will want their child to potentially be in that situation. And no human would want to be in that situation. I wouldn’t. It is not fair.
“When things are all good and our black players are scoring the goals, everything is great.
“Then we get to a final, which hasn’t been done in so long, fall short at the end, but the whole country has been brought together by these players, and some people shut them down like that.
“It is not a good sign."
