Davy Klaassen has opened up on the reasons behind his failed Everton spell.
Klaassen severed ties with Goodison Park during the summer, following a difficult debut season, in favour of a fresh start with Werder Bremen.
The Holland international underwhelmed during his 16 appearances from the Blues despite a feted £23.6 million arrival from Europa League finalists Ajax.
But Klaassen believes that several factors were behind his failure to launch and cites Everton’s lack of replacement for Romelu Lukaku among his reasoning.
“It is a combination of factors. I was not good enough for the game that Everton wanted to play,” he told EFL Voetbal.
“It has to do with yourself, with style and with choices of the trainers. I noticed quite quickly that it would be difficult at Everton, even before Ronald Koeman was fired.
“Before I signed, I expected that there would be a little more football in the team, although I also knew that English football is a lot of running and pounding.
“I was used to the game at Ajax: always the ball on the floor. In England, I sometimes had the idea that the balls always flew over me.
“We did not have a striker who could hold a ball and move around it or get over it.
“We had Romelu Lukaku, but he left for Manchester United. Koeman then wanted to take Olivier Giroud as a striker, but that transfer did not take place.
“At the start of the season we had to go directly to Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
“We ended up in a downward spiral and I was next to it.”