EVERTON WEST HAM THE BLUES BROTHER!
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LUCAS DIGNE’S favourite film is The Green Mile, but he’s a True Blue in the eyes of Everton fans.
For any player who turns down Liverpool not once but twice, is guaranteed instant adulation at Goodison Park.
Movie fanatic Digne is starring in his own big production after joining Everton from Barcelona in an £18million deal in the summer.
And after playing alongside Lionel Messi for two years, Frenchman Digne has mixed with football royalty as glittering as any Hollywood celebrity – even his big screen idol Tom Hanks.
“I love to watch the movies when I’m not playing or training,” said Digne.
“I know every movie! Tom Hanks is my favourite actor – I’ve seen every one of his films,” he laughed.
While Digne’s movie knowledge is impressive, working day in, day out with Messi at the Nou Camp, Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint-germain and Mo Salah in his year on loan at Roma has given the 25-year-old left-back a football education you can’t buy.
Unfazed
And it’s why he is unfazed by the demands of the Premier League. “I’ve played and trained with some big players but Messi is way above anyone. He is the best in the world. He is pure talent,” said Digne. “He sees everything before anybody else. You know what he wants to do but you can’t stop it. You close his left foot, he goes to the right. “You close the right side, he goes with his left. It’s crazy. We trained every day for two years and after that you can handle anything. “You learn a lot being with the best in the world. I also played against him for Roma against Barcelona, two times. It was a hard game.” Digne was lured by Marco Silva’s vision of a bold new Everton future. “When I came here, I felt it was a very good project and something good when I spoke with director of football Marcel Brands and the coach,” he said. “I said to Barcelona, ‘Please let me leave for Everton because it’s the best thing for me and my career’. In the beginning they didn’t want to sell, but when Marco Silva called me I had a good feeling.
“I was brought up with a winning mentality at PSG and Barcelona and I am here to win a lot of games and a trophy too. Why not?
“It’s a new project for everyone but there is a good mix of old and new players. My expectations and mentality are the same as if I was at the Nou Camp or in Paris. Nothing has changed.”
Digne is happy to talk about his life on and off the pitch – but there’s one topic that’s off limits.
The Frenchman gave aid to victims who had been mown down by a terrorist driving a van in Barcelona just over a www.plprimarystars.com year ago. The attack took place on La Rambla near his apartment, but he said: “I don’t want to speak about this out of respect for the families.”
The defender is happier talking about the love he’s felt from Everton fans since arriving on Merseyside with the blue half of the city delighted at his two Anfield snubs. “Everton fans have sent me a lot of messages on Twitter. It was a good start for me,” he smiled.
Difficult
After sitting out the World Cup, Digne is hoping the move will help him get a France call-up after the lack of playing time with Barcelona counted against him with Didier Deschamps.
“I went to the Brazil World Cup in 2014 and that was difficult for the players not picked so I know how it feels,” he said.
“But I watched every game of this World Cup. Hopefully if I play well at Everton I can play for my country again.”