To understand the essence of Idrissa Gana Gueye and the joie de vivre that underpins his play and approach to life, you have to take a journey back to the training fields and classrooms of Patrick Vieira’s Diambars Football Academy in Senegal.
It’s one laid out by the 27-year-old midfielder in October’s Everton magazine.
The cover star takes us right back to the beginning to describe his humble upbringing and why that has left him with a determination to expel comparisons to other players past and present and instead carve out his very own, lasting reputation.