Republic of Ireland defender Jake O'Brien has praised the immediate impact of new Everton manager David Moyes with the 23-year-old finally getting his chance to impress.
The Toffees have won back-to-back Premier League games under the returning boss having won just three times in their previous 19 games under former manager Sean Dyche, who was sacked earlier this month.
O’Brien moved to Goodison Park in July but was restricted to just 34 minutes of league action under Dyche, but after coming off the bench in Moyes’s first game – a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa – he was handed starts in the victories over Tottenham and Brighton.
"I think I just had to be patient, wait for my chance and gladly the gaffer’s given me a chance to come into the side and play a new role," he told the Everton website.
"I'm just happy to play my part in whichever role he wants me to play. I'm happy that it's two wins in two now.
"I knew it was always going to be different. I suppose when you look at me, you don't think of a full-back, but I have qualities where I can defend one on one and bring the ball out, as well. So I think I can be natural and just express myself.
"I think there were a lot of question marks over my head over what kind of player I was, and it was frustrating that I wasn't able to show what kind of player I was, but gladly now I can come to the side and start to show bits of my game."
In Saturday’s win against Brighton, O’Brien was yellow carded after the final whistle along with opponent Yankuba Minteh as tempers flared.
"I think it was just, I suppose, a little tussle," O’Brien said of the incident.
"Just with Jordan (Pickford) and the lads getting around him. I think it was just the team trying to protect him because he's one of the lads.
"It wasn't much, really. It was just, kind of, getting lads off our lads and then going to celebrate with the fans."
O’Brien’s Ligue 1 spell may be over for the time being but it’s just begun for another Irish defender with Andrew Omobamidele making a winning start for Strasbourg against Lille on Saturday.
Omobamidele is on loan until the end of the season from Nottingham Forest and came on at half-time as the hosts came from behind after the break to win 2-1.
