Iwobi reveals ‘most mentally challenging’ season in his career

Everton winger Alex Iwobi has described the Premier League season that just ended as the “most mentally challenging of my career” after his team was battling for survival.

The Toffees’ survival was confirmed with a game to spare after they defeated Crystal Palace 3-2 at Goodison Park last week.

Everton went into their final game of the season against Arsenal knowing they had secured their Premier League status, and despite losing 5-1, Iwobi admitted he was proud to have contributed to the team’s survival.

“The most mentally challenging season of my career so far is over and I’m proud to have come out of the other side stronger, sharper, and hungrier than ever!” Iwobi wrote on his Twitter handle.

Iwobi got plenty of playing time under Frank Lampard, starting and finishing Everton’s last 12 Premier League games.

Overall, the Super Eagle made 28 appearances and logged 2,037 minutes of action. Over the course of their 38 games, he started 22 of them and came on as a substitute six times.

He has scored two Premier League goals and provided two assists so far this season. Iwobi last scored in the league on March 17, when he netted in the 99th minute against Newcastle United.

On November 1, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Iwobi appeared in 30 Premier League games for Everton last season, scoring one goal and assisting on two others.

On August 8, 2019, he signed a five-year contract with Everton, and 15 days later, he made his debut for the Toffees in a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa as a substitute for the final half-hour in place of Gylfi Sigurdsson.