Everton boss Rafa Benitez wants Demarai Gray to be consistent
Demarai Gray put in an impressive shift as Everton secured the Florida Cup on Sunday during their pre-season tour of the U.S.A.
The 25-year-old joined the Toffees last week from Bayer Leverkusen, and immediately made his presence felt by grabbing the equaliser from the spot against Colombian side Millonarios in Orlando.
Gray also scored as Everton triumphed 10-9 in the shootout to decide the winner after a 1-1 draw, and manager Rafa Benitez has urged him to bring more consistency to his game.
The Spaniard told Evertontv: “He’s a player who I followed for a while. He’s a talented player and he needs to be consistent – he knows that.
“Playing behind the striker is a position I liked to see if he was capable of, like he did, to be fair.
“I’m happy for him because it’s a boost always for a player to score goals and to make a contribution for the team.”
That’s it
Gray is very talented. That has been clear since he made his first-team debut for Birmingham City at 17, but he is yet to fulfil his potential almost a decade later.
He left the Championship with eight goals in 78 appearances, winning the Premier League six months after joining Leicester City.
The Foxes saw him as a player capable of boosting their title chances during the second half of the 2015-16 campaign, and Everton now see him as one able to boost our top-six chances.
Gray was just a highly-rated attacker while arriving at the King Power Stadium at the time, but is now regarded as someone struggling to deliver week in, week out.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers gave up on him, sanctioning a permanent exit to the Bundesliga in January and Benitez has now decided to take a punt on him.
No one knows exactly how this story would go, but we believe Gray has everything it takes to be a world-beater under the Toffees boss.
He has a track record of getting the best out of players, and we are hoping he can replicate that success with the former England youth international now approaching his peak years.
In other Everton news, Toffees ace off to join squad in US as Benitez yet to make transfer decision.
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