Frank Lampard heaped praise on the Everton fans after he got off to a winning start as manager at the club with a 4-1 win over Brentford in the FA Cup.
Yerry Mina, Richarlison, Mason Holgate and Andros Townsend got the goals in a perfect opening to the new era, a much-needed lift at a club that has been sorely lacking in positivity in recent months.
Lampard received a huge ovation as he walked out ahead of the match, and hailed the Goodison Park faithful after the match for the support they gave the team.
“I can only thank the fans for their support of me,” Lampard said.
“From the moment I walked out, through the match and of course at the end when they see their team perform the way they did.
“On a personal level, I have huge thanks to the fans - from the minute I signed for this club and represented the club it’s been brilliant.
“Today was something very special and a day I’ll never forget. I can’t help but get caught up in the emotion.
“We all hear about the Goodison effect and we wanted to produce that today – the way the players played and approached the game meant that the fans bought into it straight away. It was a very special day for me.”
The Toffees sit 16th in the table after a woeful run of form under Rafa Benitez, and Lampard has urged his team to ensure the bright start under him is turned into something more long-term.
“It got me excited. Now we need to calm down and look ahead to some important league games,” Lampard said.
“We have a lot of work to do, but I saw some really promising signs.
“We’re an Everton team, so we must be aggressive, sprint, tackle when the ball is there to be won. That was there today and it must continue.”
