What Can Chelsea Loanee Kurt Zouma Bring to Everton?
By Tom Power
Frenchman will start first Blues game on Wednesday – but what qualities will he bring to Goodison Park this season?
Kurt Zouma is nailed on to make his full Everton debut against Rotherham United in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The defender, who joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, should partner Mason Holgate with Phil Jagielka still suspended, and Michael Keane and Yerry Mina both sidelined through injury.
Zouma’s first full game for the Blues will give Evertonians a first look at the qualities he possesses, but what can fans expect from the Frenchman ahead of his second appearance in Royal Blue?
Consistency
Zouma spent last season on loan at Stoke City and, whilst he was unable to prevent them from falling out of the Premier League, he did enjoy a good personal campaign in Staffordshire.
The centre-back featured in 34 matches in England’s top flight for the Potters and was vitally important in preventing Stoke from conceding more goals than they ended up shipping by the season’s end.
According to WhoScored.com, Zouma weighed in with an average – per match – of 1.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 6.8 clearances and 0.8 blocks. For a defender in a side that conceded plenty of goals and got relegated, those numbers aren’t to be sniffed at, and prove that Zouma did his upmost to stave off relegation for Stoke.
Those stats, coupled with his availability for much of the season, means that the 23-year-old has tonnes of consistency in his locker and will prove to be a valuable asset for Marco Silva at Goodison Park.
A Winner’s Mentality
He may still be classed as a ‘young player’ due to being under 24 years of age, but Zouma has already picked up a number of winners’ medals throughout his professional career.
The France international has lifted two Premier League titles and a League Cup with parent club Chelsea, a French league Cup with former side Saint Etienne and the Under-20 World Cup – something a few of Everton’s talented youngsters can also boast – with his national side’s youth team back in the summer of 2013.
It is this experience of winning trophies that will help Everton’s squad massively. Alongside fellow summer recruits Bernard, Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes and Lucas Digne, the club’s squad has added players with expertise in winning titles and that can only rub off on Everton’s other stars.
Competition for Places
As one of five centre-back options available to Silva, Zouma has his work cut out in ensuring he has a starting berth in Everton’s team week in, week out.
What that quintet offers Silva, aside from a selection headache, is competition for places. None of the five players at the Portuguese’s disposal can rest on their laurels as, if they do, there are four other candidates vying for a spot in the team.
Holgate and Keane have already stepped up to the plate this term, Mina will naturally get his chance to impress after Everton forked over £27m for him and Jagielka’s experience will mean he starts certain games.
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It won’t be an easy ride for Zouma to pick up as many appearances as he did at Stoke, but Wednesday’s Rotherham clash will offer him a first real chance to stake a serious claim to remain part of Silva’s settled starting lineup moving forward.