Out For The Season

The Yak is out for the rest of the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon during today's 1-0 win over Spurs at White Hart Lane. He went off early in the first half. This is a major blow for the Blues with Vaughny also out for a long period, and Moyes may be forced to plunder the January transfer market with some of Blue Bills loose change.

Moyesy says: "Yak has ruptured his Achilles and will be out for the rest of the season. On the back of James Vaughan's knee injury it has really stretched us but when Victor Anichebe came on he did really well.

Injuries happen in football but we're disappointed for Yak because he is a really important player for us and we will miss him. I have a really good Chairman and board and I'm sure they will do everything they can to help us." (30/11/08)

Watch Me Bang The Goals In

After scoring last week against Boro, Yak wants to be fed and start banging the goals in again.

The Yak Says: “It was nine games since I had scored and now I want to start banging the goals in. For me, the confidence is there. When I start scoring, I don’t want to stop. As a striker, you keep working. You don’t have to be anxious, you just try to keep it in your head that the goal will come.

The mood is good and everyone is so pleased with the results. In the beginning of the season we were up and down. There were some pretty poor games but we’ve been getting better. We have more to come. It’s almost Christmas now and we have to be picking up points.

In football sometimes it can be a bit up and down. Some of the injured players are back, we have signed some new players. It is better, the spirit is good, we’re all together and everyone’s happy. We’re getting the results but we have to keep pushing.” (24/11/08)

At Last A Goal

Moyesy is happy for the Yak yo get his first goal in 9 games against Boro and thinks he can go on another goal spree. The Yak now has 5 goals in all competitions this season.

Moyesy says: “It was important for the Yak to score today. The centre-forwards need their goals and at the end of the day, you score the goals however you can. People talk about scoring goals off your backside, but today he scored one off his back. He will enjoy that goal. I’m pleased for him because he had a good chance to score in the first half.” (17/11/08)

When You're Smiling

Moyesy isn't worried about the Yak not scoring for 9 games as he thinks the next goal is just around the corner. Moyesy is happy with the strikers fitness, his attitude, his infectious smile and is unconcerned of talk of Spurs looking at him. All good stuff. What maybe worrying is that Moyesy doesn't think he'll play him together with Saha all the time, which means the lone striker role again.

Moyesy says: “I think centre-forwards can go through periods of not scoring. There are some real top players who can have periods when they won’t score. At the start of the season he was ticking over and got a goal or two. I’ve seen signs in the boy that he is looking and feeling much better so maybe the goals aren’t that far.

I smile when I see his record and I trust Yak to come with goals. He has got that bullying central defenders in him so he would be the first to admit that he probably hasn’t reached that level. But I have seen glimmers in training of him getting back to that.

He’s a really good lad. He smiles everyday. His smile lights you up as it is infectious. I enjoy having him around. He’s a really nice lad. I spoke to him last week. I told him that I’ve got great faith and belief in him and that his goals will come. I don’t know whether you need to give forwards more support than, say, a defender who was out of sorts at the beginning of the season. Players need the same kind of enthusiasm. Individual personalities might be differ. Maybe Yak needs an arm around his shoulder and to be told that the world is okay.

I’m not aware of anything. Am I worried about his goals or about him being linked elsewhere? No I’m not. I know his goals will come and I’m not worried about the link because I’m not letting him go and nobody has spoken to me.

It can take time if you are looking to form a partnership. Yak has got himself in really good physical condition. He would probably say he is as fit as he has ever been – maybe that’s why the goals aren’t coming! But to work together and play together is something that takes a bit of time. I see those two having goals in them. Will I always play them together? Probably not. But we have done it on a couple of times and it has been good, like against Manchester United. Other times it has not worked, so I’ll need to pick and choose.”

You have got to remember that he is still a young boy. But he has been in this country a while and he has been a big success. There will a maturity that comes from him with years and I thought at times last season you were seeing the all-round centre-forward. There was his link up play, his goals and he could bring people into the game. There was his effort for the team. I thought he brought more than just goals last season.” (15/11/08)

Hoping For Recall

The Yak, who missed the 3-1 win at West Ham with a heel injury is back in full training and hoping to be recalled for the Boro game. Can Moyesy change a winning team to accommodate Everton's leading scorer? One thing is clear he wants to play for his country next week.

Yak says: “I have not pulled out. I still plan to travel for the game. I missed our last game because of injury and if I am fit, I will go to Colombia. Right now, I am already training and I hope to be fit in time for the match, but I have not pulled out.” (13/11/08)

Goals Will Come

The Yak was given the curly finger last night and was not happy about being taken off. He hasn't scored for 6 Premier League games but thinks he will come back strong and score more goals.

Yak says: "As a striker you want to score goals and when you're scoring you never want to stop. For me, I keep saying it, I'm up for the task. Always as a striker you are under pressure. I haven't scored for a couple of games, but I am doing my job and working so hard for the team. I know the goal will come. When it comes I don't want to stop. I can see the goal is coming. I believe in myself. I can score goals. The goal will come." (30/10/08) Full interview on evertontv.com

Yak's Scoring Knack

Leon Osman reckons that the Yak's knack of scoring vital goals will be a big factor in helping Everton get through the UEFA tie against Liege in Belgium on Thursday. Yak scored in the first leg, but has not scored in the last 3 games.

Ossie says: “Sometimes the Yak can have a fantastic game and score two but even if he’s having an absolute nightmare he’s liable to pop up with a goal and his goals are important to us.” (30/09/08)

New Signings Could Help The Trophy Quest

The Yak is keen to keep on scoring and hopes the new signings will help Everton win a trophy this season.

Yak says: “I have an ambition to win a trophy with the club this season. I’m very pleased that Everton has bought some new players to boost up our squad, it will make us stronger to achieve that aim. I want to score more, that’s my target. It is a great honour to captain your country, I feel it is recognition for my service over the years. Obviously there is added responsibility but I can’t let it take away from my job and that is to score goals for club and country.” (08/09/08)

100 Goals

Scoring the winner for Everton against WBA was Yak's 100th goal in English football. With two in two games, the Nigerian wants to keep on scoring.

Yak says: "It's a great feeling to score 100 goals in English football. I have to thank the players too, it's not just me - I couldn't score without them. It gives me more encouragement to score more goals. I just want to score goals to help the team finish in Europe again. You have to give credit to West Brom. They kept us under pressure but we showed our character in the second half." (24/08/08)

Keep On Running And The 20 Goals Will Come

The Yak's big mate, Joey Yobo has said it was hard for the Yak to work really hard as he wasn't used to it, but now feels the benefit. He may now become the first Everton player to score more than 20 goals in consecutive seasons since Graeme Sharp

Joe says: “Yak is a natural finisher. He came here last season and has done very well, so hopefully he can score the goals again this time. But we have to create the chances for him. He doesn’t miss that many, so with Yak you know that if he gets his chance, he’ll score one out of every two.

“When he first came here, he struggled a little bit because the Everton team work really hard and it’s a big part of our game. I told him that from the beginning. He’s improved a lot since then, and is adapting to everything which is showing in his game. I guess he wasn’t running as much before as he does now. He’s now used to the team and the way we play, so hopefully that can help him this season.” (06/08/08)

The Best Is Yet To Come

The Yak believes he can bag more than the twenty goals he did last season in the Royal Blue shirt, especially with the quality of player he has to play with. He admits that he is working harder than ever since Moyesy signed him from Boro' last Summer, and the best it yet to come. Christ I'm excited, roll on August 16th, footy and drinkies here we come !!

The Yak says: "I'm confident about scoring more than twenty goals again in this season. It's not easy to score twenty goals in a season and it has been a long time since an Everton player managed it, so you can imagine how pleased I was. But with the quality of players we have and the work we put in, I believe I can score even more this time.

David Moyes has made us believe in ourselves. He can't bear losing. I've had to work harder since joining Everton, but I'm not complaining - I'm enjoying the best spell of my career." (24/07/08)

Love Yak

The Yak is head of heels in love and is getting married today. He is getting wed to Yvonne Ikhana, the daughter of Nigerian football coach Kadiri. He belives that he will score more goals with his mrs by his side. Young Luv ay!

The Yak says: “I am a changed man already. Getting married to somebody you love and you want to settle down and build a family with is a good feeling and I am happy to do that. I don't want to get to the age of 35 or 40 before I start thinking of getting married. And I think this is the right time for me to get married and build a family which is good.

"For me to be part of this family is a great honour to me. When you have a father-in-law like that, who is known to be a very honest and disciplined man, who played so well for this country, who is doing very well in his coaching career winning trophies, it’s so good.”

“Even when you are down and things are not going well for you, she is there for you and you are there for her, its one of the best things in life and I believe with her by my side I will score even more goals.

“I go for training and even to play a match with happiness in my heart. That is the motivation that makes me play well. She just says 'go there and play well and score for me'. It gives me more confidence, more belief in myself.

“When I am doing something that may not be right she is the one to tell me. That is a relationship. Not the kind where it is all about the man all the time. I am just lucky to have her. I am enjoying it and I expect us to be together for the rest of our lives.” (28/06/09)