Everton star Mason Holgate has expressed his strong belief that the onus is on him to be one of the leaders in the Toffees’ dressing room, despite being amongst the youngest players in the senior squad.
Holgate returned from his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion at the end of the 2018/19 Premier League season after leaving the Merseyside outfit to clock up more first-team minutes.
The young defender’s hard work and persistence yielded results as he became an integral part of Everton’s 2019/20 Premier League season.
Holgate featured 32 times for the Merseyside outfit, starting 29 matches, but saw his top flight campaign cut short due to a shin injury.
Despite his age, Holgate has been part of Everton’s first-team set-up for the most time other than club veteran Seamus Coleman, and the 23-year-old is of the view that the relative longevity has added weight to his words in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
Holgate, who insists he does not see himself as a youngster, takes great pride in carrying the Everton crest on his chest and believes that the onus is on him to be among the players that lead the dressing room.
“I don’t feel I’m seen as a young lad in the dressing room – and that’s not how I view myself”, Holgate told Everton’s official site.
“There’s only Seamus [Coleman] who has been in the first team longer than me.
“If there’s something to be said, I will say it.
“I’ve never been shy of speaking up. I think if you asked the boys, they would say I get my point across.
“There’s probably more of an onus on me to do it now.
“I’ve been around the first team four years and it is down to me to get across to everyone what it means to play for Everton.”
Holgate will be aiming to regain his fitness as soon as possible as the new Premier League season is scheduled to start in September.
