Jonjoe Kenny has come into Everton boss Marco Silva’s starting plans more recently.
Kenny has now broken into Everton’s starting line-up, and has featured regularly since Seamus Coleman’s injury.
However, in the early part of the season, Kenny was being left on the bench by Everton.
And the youngster had to ask to play development squad football to ensure that he kept match sharp.
“I asked to play the ‘23s game to get some minutes on the pitch,” Kenny said.
“I spoke with the manager about it. It was not for anyone else, it was for me.
“I wanted to get as much as I could in the bank.
“And it was a good job I did, it helped me physically and I felt a lot better going into the Rotherham game.”
Kenny played for Everton’s under-23 side against Swansea City, and since then he has been picked far more regularly for Silva’s first-team.
Kenny has impressed in recent weeks, and proven that he does have the ability to play regularly.
Whether the youngster has now done enough to stay ahead of Coleman when the Republic of Ireland international returns to fitness remains to be seen.
Everton are next in action after the international break, when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
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