Alex Iwobi admits his immediate recall to Everton’s starting XI at Watford came as a welcome surprise – and the forward insists his team’s dramatic victory can prompt a late season surge up the Premier League table.
Iwobi injured his hamstring playing against former club Arsenal on the December day Carlo Ancelotti was officially appointed Everton manager.
The 23-year-old confessed he was “itching to show what I could do”, during six weeks on the side-lines when Italian Ancelotti launched his reign on a positive note.
Iwobi showed enough on the training pitch following his recovery to be selected for Saturday’s encounter.
He was on the field for 65 minutes as Everton recovered from 2-0 down to draw level – and hared up the touchline to join the wild celebrations which followed Theo Walcott’s 90th-minute winning strike.
“There is no better feeling than coming back and winning and it was the perfect day for me,” Iwobi told evertontv. I did not expect to come straight back in, the manager had us guessing with the set pieces we did on Friday, so we did not know [who was playing].
“But we were all ready to start. Whenever it was my time, I knew I would be ready.
“At times my reactions were a bit slow but that will come the more I am playing. I felt okay, not leggy at all.
“I always pushed on [during his recovery]. Even when I was told to relax – I tried to show I was able to get back fit.
“I was eager to be back, especially with a new manager. I was itching to show him what I could do.”
