By Liam Thomas

23rd Sep, 2022 | 1:40pm

Everton summer signing Neal Maupay gushes over his welcome to Merseyside

Neal Maupay has opened up on his gratitude for the support he has received since joining Everton from Brighton this summer.

The Frenchman has had a terrific start to life at Goodison Park, putting in a solid effort against Liverpool and scoring the winner against West Ham last Sunday.

Maupay admitted he was left “frustrated” after not converting a big chance against Liverpool at Anfield but his teammates had his back.

Speaking to Everton’s official club website, Maupay chatted about the love he’s felt from Evertonians and his yearning to score more goals after his two appearances for the Blues.

“I’ve been an Everton player for around three weeks but I already feel part of the Club and part of the family, said Maupay.

“The fans have also been fantastic with me. The atmosphere is so good at Goodison Park and I feel their support every day. Even in the city, I’ve bumped into so many Everton fans and they all say, ‘We are all behind you, all the best’.

“Against Liverpool in the previous match, I had a big chance in the second half but couldn’t score. I was a bit frustrated, but my teammates all told me, ‘You played well, you gave everything and you helped us to get a point’.

“If I had that chance against West Ham, it was very important for me to put it in the back of the net. That’s what I did and hopefully there are a lot more goals to come.”

Desire.

It’s the kind of desire every Evertonian wants to hear; their new summer signing striker hungry for goals and annoyed at a tough chance he missed against their bitter rivals.

Maupay wasn’t the blockbuster signing Blues craved, but he’s proven in his two performances for Frank Lampard that he can be a great weapon to have.

The main issue concerning the forward is whether or not he can maintain this good form, his career to date has been up and down too many times to mention.

If this flaw can be cast aside, Evertonians may have just found the forward they’ve been searching for to complete their team’s transition from relegation battlers to top-half contenders.

It’s extremely early days for Maupay and there’s no need to get ahead of ourselves just yet, but coming in with little expectations has proved to be the perfect remedy for the 26-year-old forward.

We’ll have our fingers and toes crossed for a success story here.