Fulham’s Alex Iwobi responds to message from Everton ‘legend’ Vitaliy Mykolenko
Fulham ace Alex Iwobi has responded to a message from former Everton teammate Vitaliy Mykolenko after a major milestone for the Ukrainian star.
Mykolenko was linked with a move to Napoli in the summer, but previous Toffees boss Sean Dyche was unwilling to part with the former Dynamo Kyiv man.
Whilst the former Burnley manager was unable to keep his job this season, his replacement, David Moyes, has benefited greatly from the decision to keep the left-back.
Mykolenko has been an ever-present for Everton’s new manager, as the club have turned around their fortunes, moving 15 points clear of the relegation zone.
‘Legend’ Vitaliy Mykolenko reaches 100 Premier League appearances for Everton
Following the 1-1 draw with Brentford on 26 February, Mykolenko has now featured 100 times for the Toffees in the Premier League.
In his three-and-a-half seasons with the side, relegation has been a perennial threat, but with Everton securing a new financing deal, the hope will be to begin moving up the table, and challenging for European qualification, as they did in Moyes’ previous stint with the club.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Mykolenko |
| Appearances | 25 |
| Starts | 25 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 2 |
| Minutes | 2,184 |
This summer will be one of huge overhaul in the blue half of Liverpool, with Everton moving to their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, and Angus Kinnear is set to join as the new CEO for the club.
Following the milestone, Mykolenko posted an image of himself holding a medal to commemorate the achievement, captioned: “100 appearance in the PL.”
Fulham winger, and a former teammate of the Ukraine international at Everton, Iwobi, responded simply by saying: “Legend!”, showing support for the defender.
Alex Iwobi blossoms under Marco Silva at Fulham
Football Insider Verdict
Iwobi has been a puzzling player throughout his career, often promising to break-out as a star, but managers have found it difficult to get the best out of the Nigerian international.
The 28-year-old came through Arsenal‘s academy, breaking onto the scene in the 205/16 season, and spent four years in the first team.
However, after failing to truly nail down a spot in the starting XI at the Emirates, the nephew of Jay-Jay Okocha moved to Everton.
After a difficult first three seasons, Iwobi finally broke-out, as a central midfielder under Frank Lampard.
A return to London followed, this time to Fulham, and the three-time FA Cup winner has blossomed into an all-action utility man under manager Marco Silva.
Iwobi has featured on both wings this season, when playing on the left, he often moves inside, making space for Antonee Robinson, whilst on the right he behaves like a classical winger, hugging the touchline and using his wonderful dribbling to make defenders look silly.
However, there have also been appearances in midfield, and the Nigerian international was even deployed at right-wingback against his former side, Arsenal, in a 1-1 draw, putting in a disciplined performance.