Niels Nkounkou arrived at Everton as a free agent in July 2020 and signed a three-year contract at Goodison Park.
In his debut season with the Toffees, the left-back made six appearances across all competitions, when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge at the club.
The Italian left the Merseyside club for Real Madrid back in June and was replaced by Rafael Benítez.
Nkounkou was aware of competition at Everton this season and in order to enjoy more playing time, he moved on loan to Standard Liège on deadline day.
Prior to joining the Premier League side in 2020, Juventus and RB Leipzig showed interest in the defender. The Frenchman has now confirmed Ancelotti convinced him to snub other sides for Everton.
“He [Ancelotti] convinced me, yes. It was nice to work with him, I learned a lot. Just like Rafa Benitez, by the way,” Nkounkou said, as quoted by Het Laatste Nieuws.
“I have become stronger defensively. Don’t worry, I’ll come here with plenty of base. Ancelotti worked a lot with videos, let us train very tactically too.”
Everton allowed the fullback join the Jupiler Pro League side on a season-long loan deal, without any option to make his stay permanent. Nkounkou says no buying option gives him confidence he can have a future at Goodison Park.
“Maybe they’re still counting on me. That I played so little over there was the decision of the coach. There was, of course, a lot of competition,” he explained.
“My season will be a success if we [Standard Liège] reach European football – that’s how I got to know Standard: a team that competes for the prizes – if I’ve played a lot and if I can present good statistics.”
