Everton faith repaid by squad player Sean Dyche knows he can trust

Everton’s squad has been tested in recent weeks and one player has boosted confidence in a key area.

Heading into this season, Joao Virginia had not played for the first team since the pandemic, the young goalkeeper having been sent on a series of loans to clubs including Sporting Lisbon and Dutch side Cambuur.

The decision not to replace Asmir Begovic, Jordan Pickford’s back-up and one of the Premier League’s most experienced goalkeepers, appeared to be a gamble as Everton adopted a cautious approach to the transfer window last summer.

Virginia has now repaid that faith after finally getting an opportunity to impress Dyche - and the Everton fans, who he had been desperate to play in front of at Goodison Park for years.

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Virginia entered the summer with uncertainty after his latest loan spell had ended with frustration and injury. The keeper had performed well for a struggling side before losing his place at Cambuur and then returning to Merseyside amid a relegation battle.

Begovic’s decision to turn down Everton’s offer of a contract extension propelled him into the spotlight, however. Speaking to the ECHO at the time, he said: “I want to show myself and prove myself to the new staff and the new manager because I have been away for so long.”

With new opportunity followed a new deal and Virginia spent this season on the bench having been promoted to the role of Pickford’s deputy. How much trust Dyche had in him remained an area of concern, however, as Pickford kept his place in the Carabao Cup tie at Doncaster Rovers - what felt like an obvious