Everton star lifts lid on summer transfer talks and 'phenomenal' Anfield win

When Justine Vanhaevermaet was first approached about a summer move to Everton, she knew it was an offer she couldn't refuse.

The midfielder had spent the past two seasons plying her trade with Reading in the Women's Super League (WSL), having previously enjoyed spells in Norway, Germany and her native Belgium. Having been capped more than 40 times for her country, Vanhaevermaet's pedigree rendered her an attractive asset to a host of European clubs.

But the chance to be part of an exciting - if somewhat mercurial - project at Walton Hall Park was an enticing one. "To be honest, it wasn’t a hard decision," she told the ECHO. "I was really happy Everton were interested in me. I’d had good talks with (manager) Brian (Sorensen) and it just felt good so I followed my gut feeling."

That gut feeling led Vanhaevermaet to penning a two-year deal in August, with the Belgian handed her competitive debut in Everton's opening day defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. It wasn't quite the start to life on Merseyside the midfielder had hoped for.

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And the Blues' frustration was compounded when they were narrowly beaten by Leicester City the following week. But, despite a disappointing run of results, Vanhaevermaet insists the team's faith in Sorensen's project remained unwavering.

"We’re a really good group," she said. "We’re well connected and we have a good vibe both on and off the pitch. I think that’s really important. You need to be able to stick together when things don’t go your way. I think that’s a big strength of our team.

"It’s about building on the foundation the team has