Silva Service Helping Mina

Yerry Mina says the extra work Marco Silva has put into his game has helped him play his best football since joining Everton. The Colombian signed for the Toffees last summer for 30m euros from Barcelona but struggled to establish himself in the team due to the form of Michael Keane, Kurt Zouma and Phil Jagielka.

Zouma has since returned to Chelsea following his year on loan, while Jagielka has rejoined boyhood club Sheffield United, freeing up a spot for Mina. Two starts from as many games in the Premier League have given him a chance to shine alongside Keane in the heart of the back four.

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The pair have so far kept a brace of clean sheets, recording shutouts in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace and Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Watford. That result against the Hornets signalled the first time since 2013 that the club have kept seven straight clean sheets at Goodison Park, but the Toffees are on the road in the next round of fixtures as they head to Aston Villa on Friday.

Villa have scored against both Tottenham and Bournemouth in their two games this term but are yet to pick up a point since returning to the top flight, losing both of their fixtures. Mina is again expected to start the game and has credited boss Silva with the improvement he has made.

“I feel very good, the manager is working with me every day and giving me a lot of confidence,” he told evertonfc.com. “I am understanding more what he wants all the time and becoming more comfortable.” The 24-year-old, who has 21 caps for Los Cafeteros, scoring six goals, looks to have continued his form from the Copa America where he scored a penalty in his country’s quarter-final shootout defeat to Chile.

Transitioning to European football has not been easy for Mina after initially finding opportunities hard to come by after joining Barca in 2018 and then struggling with the same situation on Merseyside.

The Guachene-born star now seems settled though, especially under Silva who he says is giving him the tools to ensure he can perform to the best of his ability. He added: “This is my best football since I came to Everton but I have to keep my focus and always work to improve.”