Christian Atsu hopes to use his Africa Cup of Nations success to kick-start his Everton career, and says he is desperate to put “smiles on the faces” of Blues fans.
The Ghanaian winger has found it tough to establish himself since arriving on loan from Chelsea last summer.
The 23-year-old has made just one league start, but made an impact as a substitute in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City at Goodison Park. It was his cross which led to Everton’s late equaliser, eventually credited as a Matthew Upson own goal.
Atsu, unlike the majority of his teammates, has at least started 2015 with some positive form. He was named player of the tournament as Ghana went all the way to the final of the AFCON in Equatorial Guinea, picking up the goal of the tournament for good measure.