Footballers these days get lots of tags, both for their on-pitch work and their off-pitch attitude and Everton fans are no different in many respects than opposition supporters around the country when it comes to reacting in the moment, having their favourites and overreacting at others who don’t fall into the favourite category.
Former Barcelona left-back Lucas Digne has hit the right spot ever since he was announced as a summer capture under Marco Silva and he won more fans as a late substitute against Wolverhampton Wanderers as he made his maiden Premier League bow, and he probably doubled his fans with his full bow against Rotherham United in the midweek EFL Cup victory.
His impressive third moment of winning fans over concerns his approach to the fan base, and the younger fan base following Rotherham and Everton’s social media released a short video on Friday and he clearly wasn’t in a rush to get back to the dressing room.
💜 | @LucasDigne 👏🏼
Full video ➡️ https://t.co/YUFu5LzBOk pic.twitter.com/p6nX04Gpwr
— Everton (@Everton) August 31, 2018
It’s not Nobel Prize worthy and plenty of fans would say the above counts nothing and it will count for nothing when he has an absolute mare on the pitch (all players have days like that during a career) but when he has a bad day, for those who remember the above, it at least tempers the reaction and frustration.
Plenty of players don’t seem to realise that when the cameras are off (and some players are absolute stars even when they get no publicity from it I should add), and I have no idea if he knew he was being filmed or not – I guess he did – but for that one young lad that was probably even more special and exciting than the win.
Makes me proud to support a club like this. We are unique.
— pbo1379 ???? (@pbo1379) August 31, 2018
Think that kids got a bit of a man crush ain’t he???????????????????
— James Danson® ???????? ???????? (@james_danson) August 31, 2018
The new boys are doing all the right things. Love it when they have time for the kids. Well done Lucas.????
— Christine Williams (@cmwilliams236) August 31, 2018
Class!
— Paul McIntyre (@bluemac1975) August 31, 2018
Top lad.
— Steve Dickson (@Ste_dicko) August 31, 2018
Top lad.
— Steve Dickson (@Ste_dicko) August 31, 2018
Young kid caling him 'lad'.
Lovely stuff.
— Hoodie (@Hoodie1878) August 31, 2018
this new group of players seem like a great bunch. Can only bode well for finding a togetherness on the pitch
— Liam Merrick (@Liamotron) August 31, 2018
Moments like the above, seen or not seen, are probably even more important when it comes to the next generation of fans given the money hungry nature of the modern game and the separation of fans as simply clients and consumers.
As one comment above references, it also shows the spirit and the type of character Silva wants at the club and the ethos he’s trying to help build and that can be no bad thing at all.