sport news Ellis Simms came of age after a pep talk from Sean Dyche... the striker can be ... trends now
View
comments
Stamford Bridge was already a stadium that held happy memories for Ellis Simms, having made his Everton debut there in December 2021.
He will now also remember it as the ground where he opened his Toffees account with a brilliant burst of speed and finish to earn Sean Dyche’s side a point.
A prolific scorer at youth level, Simms has gained experience out on loan at Blackpool, Hearts and Sunderland in the last couple of years. He was recalled from his productive spell at the Stadium of Light in January, with Everton badly in need of goals.
His first start since returning, against Liverpool last month, did not go to plan and he slipped back down the pecking order. But a pep talk with Dyche last week did the trick, with Simms delivering on one of his promises to ‘play stronger’ after coming off the bench at Chelsea.
‘It was the moment of my career so far,’ the 22-year-old said. ‘I have been working hard to come up with this. It’s a dream come true to score my first Premier League goal.’
Ellis Simms (left) celebrates after scoring a late equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
Abdoulaye Doucoure, who scored Everton’s first equaliser before setting up Simms, said: ‘Everyone loves him — he’s so funny! To score his first goal here is something that he is never going to forget and we got the point because of him.’
Defender James Tarkowski added: ‘The finish was unbelievable. Since coming back after Christmas,
