Everton set to unleash 'caged tiger' James Vaughan
PHIL NEVILLE has revealed that James Vaughan is "like a caged tiger" during the training camp in Switzerland.
Vaughan has returned to full training after spending much of the summer working his way back to fitness following a cartilage operation in March.
The young striker's injury problems since making his debut in April 2005 have been well documented, but now Neville reckons Vaughan is desperate to make his first-team mark.
"James Vaughan is raring to go," he said. "He's like a caged tiger at the moment and I think the physios are having to reign him in and hold him back just now.
"It's the same for Leighton Baines. This is a big season for him as well. So we've got players who are hungry, which is good because teams around us last season are going to be after our place.
"We need to perform better and climb an even bigger mountain."
With a clutch of senior squad members having stayed on Merseyside, youngsters Jack Rodwell, Lee Molyneux, Kieran Agard, Eunan O'Kane, Jose Baxter, Cory Sinnott, John Irving, Lukas Jutkiewicz and John Paul Kissock have travelled.
And Neville added: "We've got eight or nine young professionals over here with us and, for me, some of them look like they're nearly ready to join the first-team squad, which is exciting.
"I think Everton fans would prefer to see a youngster coming through the ranks than a foreign player."
Neville has also welcomed the addition of new assistant manager Steve Round.
"Steve has settled in well and I think he's been pleasantly surprised with the quality we've got here and the work ethic that we've all got," he added.
"He's really looking forward to working with Everton and I know that the challenge of working with the boss here was something he was really keen to do.
"The manager didn't have a number two for large parts of last season and he still managed to keep us in fifth place so with a little extra help, who knows what we might be able to achieve."
Older/Newer
« Stay at home and play for Everton | Wayne Rooney agent Paul Stretford's fury over FA fine and ban »
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Everton set to unleash 'caged tiger' James Vaughan.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.evertonbanter.co.uk/cgi-bin/mt421/mt-tb.cgi/13625
Leave a comment