Kone eyeing kick-start at Everton
Everton striker Arouna Kone is ready to make another bid to prove his worth at the club
Striker Arouna Kone hopes it is third time lucky as he once again begins his bid to kick-start his Everton career.
The Ivorian has played just 22 times since following manager Roberto Martinez from Wigan in the summer of 2013 for £6million.
He managed just six appearances in a debut season which was ended in October by a knee ligament injury which sidelined him for almost 14 months.
The 31-year-old then featured in 16 matches between December and the end of the campaign and that has helped restore his confidence as he prepares for pre-season.
"In terms of my injury, last season really helped me to come back and get fitter," he told evertonfc.com.
"When I left Wigan, I knew I was coming to a bigger club, a successful club, and I knew that being surrounded by such a great group of players could have a great impact on myself so to suffer the injury that I did was very difficult.
"I feel a lot better physically now. The few games that I was able to play last season allowed me to regain a lot of my confidence which is very important.
"Now it's all about this summer and this pre-season and making sure I set out as I mean to go on.
"The fans haven't been able to see me at my very best level but I hope I can get there next season and show them what I am about. I am hungry to do that and I want to prove I can cut it here.
"The fans and everyone around me have been really supportive and that's kept me going throughout the difficult months and I really want to repay those people now and use my performances to help push the team towards the top of the table where it deserves to be."
