‘The final outcome proved me right’
Lucas Digne has suggested that Rafa Benitez’s departure from Everton ‘proved him right’ after the former Liverpool boss was sacked by the Toffees.
The left-back joined Aston Villa for £25million having been exiled by Benitez at Goodison Park following a falling out between the pair.
Now, the 28-year-old has opened up about the nature of his relationship with the Spaniard and his vindication at Benitez losing his job in January following a horrendous run of results.
He told L’Equipe: “When you are part of the framework, there are discussions with the coach. The relationship we had was not good.
“It was complicated to be excluded from the group for a month. It was an unprecedented situation in my career. But I had my family and my teammates with me.
“I also saw Raphaël Varane quite often, as we lived nearby. I took it upon myself. I continued to work on the side, to be behind my friends. I have never refused to play.”
Digne ‘never asked’ to leave Everton
Despite Benitez publicly claiming that Digne wanted to leave Everton, the defender has dismissed those claims and insists that he never asked for a move.
“It was a way for him to protect himself. I never asked for that. People who know me at the club know that everything was going very well. I was not the only one to leave, moreover (James Rodriguez, in particular),” he added.
“I thought we could have a lot more possession. I felt legitimate to give my feelings. The group was unanimous. He was fired because of poor results. I think he had a bad philosophy. He didn’t fit at Everton.” – Former Everton player, Lucas Digne on Rafa Benitez
(Via – L’Equipe) pic.twitter.com/H5EPudNBQy
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When asked about the specific nature of the disagreement between the pair, Digne said: “In relation to the style of play, especially.
“I thought we had a team that could have a lot more possession, which we had the quality for. He asked me the question, I gave him my answer.
“I know my place. I felt legitimate to give him my feelings and those of the other players in the locker room. The group was unanimous. The final outcome proved me right, since he was fired because of the poor results.
“I think he also had a bad philosophy. He didn’t fit at Everton.”
Enjoying life at Aston Villa
Digne has made a positive start to his career at Villa Park and earned a recall to the French national team as a result of his impressive form.
The defender – who was an unused substitute in their friendly win over Ivory Coast last week – will be hoping to feature in the clash against South Africa on Tuesday night.
Related links:
- Lucas Digne bids farewell to Everton with swipe at Rafa Benitez
- Liverpool supporters respond to Lucas Digne’s claim that he rejected them twice
- Lucas Digne struck by bottle thrown by Everton fans during goal celebration
