Kevin Mirallas has played ? and flourished ? in the evocatively tagged 'Derby of the Eternal Enemies,' the incendiary bi-annual clashes between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.
He has also experienced the partisan fervour of the Derby du Rhone ? the frenetic French showdowns between white collar Lyon and working class St Etienne. So the 25-year-old clearly knows a thing or two about football stadium atmospheres ? and he is revelling in the sensation of stepping out at Goodison Park on matchdays. Mirallas was introduced to the Everton crowd on an explosive opening night of the season against Manchester United back in August.
Since then he has stepped out there against Newcastle, Southampton and Liverpool in the Premier League ? and will be aiming to enjoy the experience again when Sunderland visit tomorrow.
?There?s always an electric atmosphere in the stadium and every match so far this season has been a sell-out and the fans have been right behind us,? he said.
?It really does bring a lot to us and help us. ?When we play at home we have that extra desire to grab the points and get a home victory.?
A home victory tomorrow against Martin O?Neill?s Premier League draw specialists is imperative to Everton?s hopes of maintaining a top four place. The disappointment of dropping two points at Craven Cottage in the 90th minute last Saturday was tempered by Spurs? unexpected home defeat by Wigan which saw Everton move back into the top four.
The Black Cats have drawn six of their nine Premier League outings, while Everton?s last four have all ended in stalemate.
Source: liverpool echo
Source: liverpool echo