The former Crystal Palace speedster completed a £20 million move to Goodison Park last summer but had made only 13 league appearances when he sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury against Manchester United at the start of December.
I wouldn’t say [the injury] has been a blessing in disguise, but it did give me the chance to work on all areas of my game
Bolasie is targeting a Toffees return before Christmas, having stepped up his recovery by working on sprinting mechanics with former Olympic gold medalist Darren Campbell.
And the 28-year-old says that, after spending a prolonged period working on parts of his game that he ignored when he was a youngster, he wants to come back fitter and stronger than ever.
Speaking exclusively in the September 2017 issue of FourFourTwo magazine, out now, Bolasie says: “I wouldn’t say [the injury] has been a blessing in disguise, but it did give me the chance to work on all areas of my game. It can be boring, but I am getting to the stage where I can jump on a box, volley a ball and do bits like that.
“Darren Campbell has helped me out a lot with my sprinting mechanics. These are things I’ve always wanted to do, but neglected as I am already fast and strong.
I’ve gone over one of football’s hardest hurdles. My mentality is strong and the injury has given me the composure that I’ve been looking for in the past. I’m more aware and thinking about my game. I want to show the Everton fans what I’m really about
“I’ve gone over one of football’s hardest hurdles. My mentality is strong and the injury has given me the composure I’ve been looking for in the past. Instead of just attacking the byline, I’m getting there and looking up.
“I’m not scared, I’m more aware and thinking about my game – that’s going to help massively. I want to show the Everton fans what I’m really about. I’ve got a chance to come back as the complete package.”
Read more from Yannick Bolasie in the September 2017 issue of FourFourTwo.
Accompanied by our 100-page Season Preview – rating 104 teams – the magazine features the 99 things we want from the new campaign, including interviews with Christian Eriksen, David Alaba and Ilkay Gundogan. Plus, we go One-on-One with William Gallas, hit the Lake District to watch Football League players get put through a gruelling pre-season boot camp, reflect on Brighton’s 20-year rise from the brink of non-league to the top flight, remember the gaffes, garish kits and cheerleaders from the Premier League’s inaugural season and ask 'Where have all the goalmouth scrambles gone?' Order your copy today here and then become a subscriber here.
