Everton defender Jonjoe Kenny has praised manager Frank Lampard, stating he ‘knows how to deal with us’.
Lampard arrived at Everton to replace Rafa Benitez at the end of January, with the Blues electing to sack the Spaniard after a miserable few months in charge.
The Chelsea legend has proven to be a big hit at Goodison Park, quickly building a formidable relationship with the fanbase, who had grown toxic under his leadership.
That relationship has only been helped by Lampard leading Everton to safety this season, despite only managing to pick up 20 points from his 18 league games in charge to date.
Those numbers do not demonstrate the drastic improvement Everton have enjoyed during his reign, though, which has included notable wins over the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Leicester City.
He’s certainly got the backing of the current squad, as proven by Kenny’s latest comments on his boss.
“He is a football legend,” he told Sport 1.
“The coach has given me confidence, which is good for every player and also has an effect on performance.”
Kenny has seen a dramatic upturn in his fortunes at Goodison Park since Lampard replaced Benitez in January.
The full-back only made six appearances under the Spaniard during his reign on Merseyside, but that has almost doubled under his replacement, with 14 under Lampard and almost double the amount of minutes.
It’s been that way for several players in the squad, with the rapport between Benitez and his team a low one and the situation which saw the exit of Lucas Digne.
That never happened to Kenny, and he insists there was no falling out, even if he was sidelined.
“There are phases like that,” he added.
“I didn’t have my best form; the coach put his faith in others. The important thing is not to let yourself down.
“I had no problem with Mr Benitez, but of course, I’m glad that a coach came along who put his faith in me.”
