The Everton midfielder spoke to the media after starring in the pre-season friendly with Roma at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall of Everton controls the ball (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is hoping that Everton can make more transfer recruits like himself before the window closes as he looks to feed off the energy of the Blues crowd having impressed on his debut at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Just three days after he became Everton’s latest signing, having joined from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee understood to be in the region of £25million, the 26-year-old produced an eye-catching display, carving out several inviting opportunities for his side in the 1-0 defeat to Roma in their final pre-season friendly. Dewsbury-Hall said: “We had the conversation that the manager wants to make a lot of signings. If it’s possible, then we would like to add a couple more.“If it comes up and the club can do it then they will. That will put us in a great position with the squad we’ll have with the depth and will catapult us nicely going into the Premier League.
“The new stadium was obviously a selling point to coming to this club. It would have been amazing to play at Goodison Park, I know how iconic that is, but the way the club is going with all this new stuff, it is exciting. “It makes players go: ‘Wow, this is a project that hopefully in the next couple of years, starting now, is going to be exciting.’ When it came about, it was an easy decision.”Operating in the number 10 role, Dewsbury Hall’s positive play surging forwards got the Everton fans out of their seats in the inaugural first team fixture in front of fans at their new home and he believed their support spurred him on. He said: “It all started from the reception that me and the team got. It was pretty overwhelming to be honest.“It was a special moment for me. From that second, I was like: ‘Yes, I need to try show something for the fans and do what I can,’ and credit to them, it was an enjoyable moment.“I feed off that energy. That’s what you want as a footballer, it brings out the best in you and makes you want to fight for the team – I’ve got scratches all over me.“That’s part and parcel of it. I’m happy with that and hopefully that can continue.“The result today is not the most important thing, it’s getting minutes in the legs for the team. But results will come, I’m 100% sure.“I’ve grown up since I was a kid watching Match of the Day and you watch Everton every week on it playing and hearing the song before the lads go out, it’s iconic. It’s massive, I don’t care what anyone says, it’s a massive club.“I am humbled to be here and I’ll never take that for granted, so every time I step on the pitch, you’re going to get the best version of me, whatever that is, whether it’s on the ball or off the ball, I’m just going to do whatever I can to help the team.”The former Leicester City player was on Moyes’ radar during the January transfer window but after a year at Chelsea, the Nottingham-born star is glad to have teamed up with the Scot. Dewsbury-Hall said: “He wants me to be involved in the play and try to effect the game at the top end of the pitch and defence. He just wants me to be myself and be the player that I’ve always been and try and help the team as much as possible. “Whatever way that may be in the game, I’ll try and do that. But he’s put a lot of faith in me, so I’m going to repay that.“He knew a lot about me as a player which first and foremost is important. You want to go to a club where the manager has done his research, knows about you and has watched you for a while.“He wants me to get involved in the game and impact the game at the top of the pitch with goals and assists, but also help defensively. He knows what type of player I am – I’m an all-rounder – so whichever way that is to impact the team, it will be that way.“He just wants me to enjoy myself and do what I’ve done to get to this point in my career.“I’d probably say that’s the role I will play the most where I’m a little bit more advanced, where I’m getting around the box and trying to link play. I can play deeper though if a certain game warrants that. “In all honesty, me and Everton have gone back a couple of years. I’ve always known about the club and I’ve taken an interest in the club.“There was January or whatever but it was in the summer where it could have been a possibility. When it came to a point where I had to make a decision what I wanted to do, it was a pretty easy decision in the end.”Little over a year after he helped the Foxes to promotion at the first time of asking, Dewsbury-Hall arrives on Merseyside having lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge. Although he played more times in the former competition than he did in the Premier League for Chelsea, he has no regrets about following manager Enzo Maresca to west London last summer.Dewsbury-Hall said: “It was hit and miss. Of course I would have liked to have played more football, that’s all I want as a player, but I feel like when I played, I gave a good account of myself and I managed to score some goals and do well.“It’s a big club and it’s tough to play week in, week out. I think at this point in my career it was about trying to find a club that really valued me as a player, wanted to bring me to the club and gives me a chance to really show what I can do.“For sure, I feel better for the experience. I would never regret it, I managed to win two trophies there which gave me that winning mentality of playing in big games.“It was a great experience and hopefully I can bring some of that sort of stuff to this club.”