Abdoulaye Doucoure is grateful to Everton manager Sean Dyche for his support last season.
Dyche, after replacing Frank Lampard, rescued Doucoure from training with the reserves and was rewarded by a string of superb end of season performances from the midfielder.
The last few weeks of the season were very tense," Doucoure told evertonfc.com. Everyone was talking about Everton perhaps being relegated. It was very tense so to score that goal meant everything.
I worked hard to come back into the team, but the season was very difficult for me and for my family as well. I had some personal issues and as a professional, I didn't play my part with the first manager.
I was pleased to have helped the Club on the final day. I'm very happy and proud of myself, and my teammates. Everton are in the Premier League next season, but we need to be stronger than that."