The former Everton defender turned 31 today, and after three outstanding years at Goodison Park, he left in terrible circumstances. The years 2020-2022 were unusual for everyone. But in a sports sense, particularly Evertonians. James Rodriguez, Carlo Ancelotti, lockdown football…looking back, those days seem like a fever dream. But maybe the most strange incident of all occurred when the then-Everton manager, a Liverpool icon, cited the name of a Blues legend in a peculiar press conference to defend the exclusion of a fan favourite.
“I want to ask a question to every fan or former player,” Rafael Benitez remarked as Everton prepared for their FA Cup match against Hull City in January 2022. “What will Peter Reid do or say if a player goes and says he doesn’t want to be there?” It was a reference to Lucas Digne, who had been left out of several Blues matches in December 2021 and appeared to be leaving the club in the January transfer window.
Digne was one of the Premier League’s most creative full-backs during his three seasons with Everton, recording 18 assists. In his debut season, he also scored four goals and was named Players’ Player (tied with Idrissa Gueye) and Fans’ Player of the Year. Under Benitez, his game changed. The former Liverpool manager was known for his pragmatism, and Digne was encouraged to tone down his attacking inclinations in order to improve defensive coherence. Nonetheless, Benitez’s decision to keep Digne out of the team for the December game against Arsenal surprised many.
Following a shocking 2-1 victory, the defender resorted to social media to provide some clarification. “Don’t believe everything you read,” he wrote. “The club is the only thing that matters.I was disappointed not to play. I was looking forward to playing for Everton as always. The manager decided not to choose me. “That is football.” Speculation spread in the aftermath, and Benitez intimated later in the week that Digne’s mentality was a problem: “What he has to do is ensure he continues working hard and the team is ahead of any individual.”
as Digne was named to the bench for Brighton & Hove Albion’s visit a few weeks later, the defender received a lot of attention as he came out to warm up. Despite his charges of selfishness, Benitez received a warm welcome from the audience. In his absence, Seamus Coleman played out of position at left-back, and Everton lost 3-2.
With new acquisition Vitalii Mykolenko observing, it appeared to be the last straw for Digne at Everton. And, presumably irritated by the attitude of certain supporters, Benitez used the aforementioned Hull press conference to talk openly about the matter. “I’m a professional, I try to manage,” he informed me. “I’ve known what the fans desire from the day I started here. “When you don’t win, it’s more tough. The truth is that we need players who want to be here for whatever reason. Talking about stats, individual stats, and how the team finished ninth means nothing to me.
“I want a winning mindset and ambition. It may take some time, but we will attempt to do everything correctly…Perhaps modern football’s statistics and priorities have shifted. “People prioritize themselves over their teams.” Despite the charges, Digne and Benitez gradually faded from Everton fans’ memories. A week after his news conference outburst, Digne agreed to join Aston Villa for £25 million. Then, five days later, Benitez was fired after the Blues suffered a humiliating defeat at struggling Norwich City.
Digne returned to Goodison later that month, setting up the sole goal in Villa’s 1-0 victory. He was then struck by a bottle thrown from the fans as Villa celebrated their goal, for which an Everton fan was later imprisoned. Speaking about his departure a few months later, Digne said he was not the only player who had a problem with Benitez during his brief time at Goodison Park. “The group was unanimous,” he explained. “The sequel proved me correct, as he was sacked due to the bad outcomes. I believe he also had a horrible philosophy. “He didn’t fit at Everton.”
Digne, 31, is still at Aston Villa and will play Champions League football next season after helping the team finish fourth last season. Since leaving Everton, Benitez has only worked for Celta Vigo. He was fired in March after only five wins in 28 games.
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