Marco Silva believes Mason Holgate has room to improve in training, and has pushed the defender to do more.
Everton face Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup this evening, and Mason Holgate is expected to make his first appearances of the season after not yet featuring in the Premier League since the beginning of the new campaign.
Returning from a six-month loan spell with West Brom in the Championship, Holgate is behind both Michael Keane and Yerry Mina in the pecking order, and the former England youth international will be hoping to impress in his appearance against The Imps this evening.
With Holgate now the undisputed third-choice at the back, Silva has challenged him to up his efforts in training and keep improving. Talking to the Liverpool Echo, Silva said:
Mason is a player I am always pushing and a player every time, I think, can do more than he is doing.
Not because he doesn’t want to but it is up to me to push him more and more and more.
About focus, about desire to win and improve every single day, to get better every single day because if he does that then he will be a better player, I have no doubts about that.
Holgate will be looking at Everton’s defensive line this season and will be eyeing a spot in the future if he can impress in his opportunities. Everton kept two clean sheets in their first two games, but a less than convincing performance against Aston Villa suggested that issues still exist.
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I’ve always been a big fan of Holgate, probably more so than most, and I hope he can come through and rise to the occasion this season. The 22-year defender is so versatile and comfortable on the ball, and I think he could excel in Silva’s team, should he get a run out.
His only issue is displacing Keane and Mina, who look to have the makings of a solid partnership in place already. Hopefully Holgate will up his game in training and will take his opportunity against Lincoln, presuming he gets one, confidently in his stride.
