EXCLUSIVE: Everton star Merlin Rohl has released a photography book, with the front cover showing Blues supporters in last season's win over Chelsea
Everton's Merlin Rohl
Everton's Merlin Rohl
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Merlin Rohl hopes the passion that Everton fans showed when they beat Chelsea 3-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium last season – inspiring the cover of his new book – can be replicated in the corresponding fixture this Saturday as he admits his best way back into the team might be in the right-back position.
The emphatic victory over the west London outfit on March 21 proved to be the high watermark of the Blues’ inaugural campaign at their 52,769 capacity home on the Mersey waterfront as it put them within three points of a Champions League qualification place. However, David Moyes’ men subsequently failed to win any of their last seven matches and slumped to finish 13th.
Speaking at the launch of his photobook 'Life with Everton' at Hill Dickinson Stadium’s Trinity Cafe, Rohl recalled the coach welcome ahead of Chelsea’s visit and told the ECHO: “I think it was the first time I heard fans waiting outside when we went to games, so that’s why it was so special. To hear the noise was so loud, you could see all the smoke and hear the screaming.
“You can look into the eyes of the supporters. They were just so excited for the game and it really motivated me.
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“I think if you look at the complete season, that’s a pivotal moment. We look back at it all the time and say these kinds of games, and Chelsea maybe, was one game, where it helped us to jump more into a home stadium that we really have now and it will develop over the next years.”
Rohl only took up photography a couple of years ago, but his book contains numerous candid shots of his Everton team-mates in the dressing room which he says is a special place and a cross-section of our wider society.
There is an image of Vitalii Mykolenko and Michael Keane playing chess which Rohl tells us attracted a lot of attention, plus another of a smiling Jordan Pickford after the club’s annual visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to hand out Christmas presents.
The German observes: “The different cultures, characters, faces and people make it a unique place- one where you can learn and discover so much about life.”
Although his English is excellent, Rohl – away from his homeland for the first time – acknowledges that his own assimilation has not always been straightforward. He said: “Yeah it difficult, a challenge in the beginning.
“The language is quite of kind of okay when I’m one to one with somebody, but you need to think about the connection to players in a group where you make some jokes. Even now, I don’t understand the jokes.
“I’m just sitting there and just trying to understand what’s happening. That’s something that will take a lot of time.
“I’ve tried to pick up some Scouse words, some kinds of phrases. The ‘nice one mate’ is really my favourite one.
“That’s what I always say to everybody. It’s just like a nice sentence.”
Rohl also pays tribute to Everton’s former long-serving captain Seamus Coleman, who, after having been with the club since 2009, saw his final season correspond with the Potsdam-born player’s first. The 24-year-old describes the Republic of Ireland international as “a special person.”
Like his ex-skipper, Rohl is one of the few Blues players who actually lives in the city – he says he loves the feeling of the buildings – so is that also special to him? He said: “Yeah, yeah. I think so. I don’t want to say negative about people that don’t live here in the city because it’s not easy when you get recognised so much.
“Other people, they couldn’t live here, it just wouldn’t be possible, even in Manchester, they can’t go outside, it might even be dangerous. It’s something that you need to be aware of, but I take in every moment, because I can notice the city and the people a little bit more and it will help me to settle down here.”
In the final home game of last season against Sunderland, Rohl became the first German player to score for Everton but he can still enjoy a degree of anonymity when pounding the pavements with his camera – for now at least. Asked how he keeps a low profile, he said: “I just put a cap on. Maybe don’t publish too many photo books? (and he says he can’t do jokes!)
Merlin Rohl met fans at an event at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Merlin Rohl met fans at an event at Hill Dickinson Stadium
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“I do want to score a lot of goals. If I do score then the people will recognise me, but it’s part of the job – I’ll take it.”
First of all he has to get back in the team though. Signed from Freiburg as a central midfielder, that position is now the one area of the pitch where Everton’s squad of just 18 outfield players now have a plethora of options.
So, having impressed in pre-season at right-back and started there for the first three games of the season before he got injured, could that be where he returns? Rohl said: “Maybe the way back into the team will be the right back position.
“We have, I would say, a small squad. So, there will be plenty of options for me to get back in the team in a lot of positions and I just need to take my chance.
“I think sometimes these challenges (the lack of numbers) will keep you together even more because you need to stand up. Everybody needs to focus on training and there’s nobody that can hide because we need everybody.”