Frank Lampard had conversations with Vitaliy Mykolenko ahead of Everton v Crystal Palace
Frank Lampard reportedly had a one-to-one conversation with Vitaliy Mykolenko on the eve of the Everton v Crystal Palace clash.
According to the Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas, the Toffees boss urged him to be more adventurous and found an instant response after kick-off.
Mykolenko was off the pace against Newcastle, but quickly bounced back as his side beat Palace 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Splendid
The Ukrainian put in a near faultless performance against Palace and justified Lampard’s faith in him who has been a supporter since his first match in charge.
He knew that Mykolenko was new to the club and the league and had big shoes to fill as he was replacing Lucas Digne.
The Frenchman was widely seen as the club’s best player before Rafa Benitez facilitated his sale and he ended up joining Aston Villa.
It has taken time but the Ukrainian appears to be a full-back who’s not just good at going forward but is phenomenal defensively as he well.
He puts in a shift even when he’s having a bad game and his work-rated certainly has not gone unnoticed by Lampard or anyone watching Everton play this season.
Even Paul Merson was thrilled at the “Unbelievable” moment in the game against Palace and Mykolenko will be delighted that he’s impressing others with his performances.