Everton: Mason Holgate hails Carlo Ancelotti’s influence
Everton centre back Mason Holgate has opened up on the relationship he has with Carlo Ancelotti and how the Italian manager’s influence has helped him improve his game.
Holgate joined Everton in 2015 from Barnsley as an 18 year old centre back aiming to make a name for himself in the Premier League. The youngster had to wait for a year to showcase his potential in the Top Flight.
While he barely made regular outings under managers like Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva, it was Carlo Ancelotti who gave Holgate a continued run in the team. In many ways, it was the Italian boss who helped Holgate grow out of the embryonic stages of the Toffees career. Under Ancelotti, he has become a first team regular and pairs up with Michael Keane in the centre of the backline. The Englishman has shown some strong signs of progression under Ancelotti and become one of the most important pieces in Everton’s new jigsaw. Extremely delighted with his tremendous development, Mason Holgate signed a contract extension in March keeping him at Merseyside till 2025. The 23 year old has now highlighted what was different with Carlo Ancelotti when he arrived at Finch Farm.
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"With managers in the past I’ve not really started under them, so I’ve felt like I’ve had to prove something to them when I got my chance. But with the new boss that’s come in, luckily for me I was already playing so I had the chance straight away to show him what I could do and prove that he could trust in me.Pretty much every day he [Ancelotti] speaks to everybody, he’s just a really nice man. He asks how you are, what you’re doing, how’s your family and stuff – and then what he’s been doing, I think he’s been doing a lot of bike rides over lockdown.He’s just a nice man to speak to. Everything’s not always serious with him, he’s just a good man to speak to. I’m really enjoying him to be honest. Someone who’s got that much experience and who’s such a great manager, it’s the best of both worlds really. (Via Liverpool Echo)"
Mason Holgate is expected to have a bigger responsibility in the squad after Yerry Mina injured himself during a training session. The Colombian is set to miss the first few weeks of action due to a partial tear in the thigh. With the Merseyside derby now scheduled to take place on 21st June, emotions are running high for Everton players as they aim to avenge the 5-2 loss earlier this season. In Carlo Ancelotti’s first League Merseyside derby, he’ll be expecting a monumental contribution from Holgate in the backline.