Striker Arouna Kone on turning his Everton career around
Arouna Kone has told Sky Sports News HQ how he wants to continue impressing at Everton and repay the faith shown by manager Roberto Martinez after a dazzling few days on and off the pitch.
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SSN HQ reporter Vinny O'Connor explains...
With no more need for talk that he's putting on a brave face, Arouna Kone's third season with Everton is giving him good reason to maintain that almost permanent smile.
The last few days have been particularly good to him after a hat-trick against Sunderland, his first in the Premier League and a contract extension that he hopes will not be his last with Everton.
"It's almost a sense of relief more than anything," admits Kone. "I really wanted to stay beyond this season and now that wish has come true.
"It's come at a great time for me and means that I can concentrate fully on my game to try and make sure it turns into a happy season for us."
Cup success and a challenge for the top four is Kone's aim, now that he is able to enjoy his football again.
The enjoyment, in part, he puts down to the understanding he has struck up with Romelu Lukaku, a partnership he hopes is proving to be mutually beneficial.
The 31-year-old says: "I'm trying to show Romelu a little bit of my experience and help him in my own little way to become the big star I'm sure he's going to be, and to become an even better player than he is now.
"I certainly feel we understand each other really well. Our styles are different but they compliment each other. I tend to drop deep, I'm always in search of the ball and maybe play around him, while he tends to be more central, the target if you like - and it all works."
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Against Sunderland on Sunday, Lukaku hit his sixth Premier League goal of the season and set up two of Kone's three.
For two seasons, though, it was a double act that never got going as a succession of injury problems restricted Kone to just 22 appearances and one goal following his arrival in the summer of 2013.
Now, as well as proving himself to the Everton fans, Kone is driven by the desire to repay the faith Roberto Martinez has shown in him.
"Obviously Roberto brought me with him from Wigan," said the Ivory Coast international, "and I think that having worked with him before has really helped.
"Throughout the tough periods, he kept having conversations with me, reassuring me and never at any point did he rush me to come back.
"I think his confidence really helped me in terms of getting me back to where I am. So now, it's really important that I try and pay him back for the confidence he's shown in me for the rest of my time at Everton. I don't think I'm at my absolute top level yet. I don't think I'm far off though."
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Sunday's match ball (which he admits he has been jealously guarding) backs up his view that he's nearing his best. But until Kone is satisfied that he is at that level, a return to the international scene with Ivory Coast is on hold.
"All I'm concentrating on is not interrupting the progress that I'm making both on the field and in my fitness. I still feel I've got to prove myself even more at Everton," he added.
"So maybe at some stage in the future, when I feel 100 per cent sure I'm fit enough to be able to leave my club to join up with the national squad, then it can happen. Certainly for now, I want to make sure I'm right for Everton to capitalise on this form for my club first and foremost."
