Amadou Onana shares Everton admission and key factor in transfer decision - 'This is crazy'
Amadou Onana shares Everton admission and key factor in transfer decision - 'This is crazy'The Aston Villa midfielder reflected on his two years at Everton and offered his thoughts on Jarrad Branthwaite's potentialEverton's Amadou Onana (Image: Dave Howarth - CameraSport via Getty Images )Amadou Onana said he was grateful for the chance to play for Everton, hailing the supporters as “absolutely crazy”. The midfielder spent two seasons at Goodison Park before sealing a £50m move to Aston Villa last summer.He reflected on his time on Merseyside positively and said it was the period in his career in which he grew the most. The Belgium international also provided insight into the experience of being hunted by then Blues manager Frank Lampard and tipped Jarrad Branthwaite for a career at the top of the game.Onana signed from French club Lille in a deal worth around £33.5m in the summer of 2022, declaring on his arrival: "I know it's a big, big club, one of the biggest in England.”Kenny Tete was part of infamous Everton brawl that led to supporter being jailed READ MORE:Everton contract state of play as wait continues over four possible transfers READ MORE:He still believes that after his stint with Everton, telling The Inside Scoop football show: “Everton is a big club, big history, fanbase is crazy, absolutely crazy. I am really grateful for the experience.”Then 20, Onana was the subject of interest from West Ham United but the influence of Lampard proved pivotal in his decision to choose Everton.Looking back on Lampard’s involvement in his decision, he said: “He was calling me every day. Two or three times a day. I was thinking: ‘Ra, Frank Lampard is calling my phone? This is crazy.’Article continues below“It’s hard to say now, especially because of the player he has been, you just can’t say no. As a midfielder, I knew I could learn a lot under him as well, that he could bring me to the next level. I had to give in… A big shout out to him for giving me the opportunity because that was my dream as well, playing in the Premier League. I always wanted to play in the Prem.”Onana made his debut at Villa Park, coming off the bench to play a big role in a frantic final 10 minutes as the hosts overcame Everton 2-1. That season turned into a chastening relegation battle that ended with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stunning goal against Bournemouth keeping Everton in the top flight on the final day of the campaign.The following season saw two points deductions leave Everton fighting for survival again but, looking back on that period of his career, Onana said: “My memories are just happy ones. It is probably the club I learned the most about myself as a man. It made me grow a lot, my first year dealing with relegation - when Doucoure scored the winner against Bournemouth and we stayed in the league, it was probably the most difficult season of my life - in terms of the mental strength we needed to stay in the league.“Week in, week out you are getting on the pitch and you are getting battered, basically, it was really tough mentally but I grew a lot as a man and as a football player so I have no regrets.”Onana’s opportunities were inconsistent under Sean Dyche and last summer, amid heavy interest in the midfielder, Everton opted to sanction his departure in a big money deal that provided the club with a profit and the financial support to stave off approaches for Jarrad Branthwaite .Article continues belowOn the centre back, who is in early talks with Everton over the prospect of a new deal , Onana said he was sure he had what it takes to succeed.He added: “I trained and played with him for a year and I think he’s got everything it takes to become one of the best in the league. Good left foot, physically strong, he’s fast. He reads the game really well, he’s got every attribute you need to be at the top. He’s a really cool kid as well, humble, hard-working. I am really excited for him and wish him the best because he deserves it.”
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