St Etienne defender Neils Nkounkou has reflected on his time with Everton.

Nkounkou left Everton earlier this season.

“When you hear (Carlo) Ancelotti, it's special anyway," he told Onze Mundial.

"He's not just any coach. He coached great players like Ronaldo, he won almost everything. When you have a coach of this calibre on the phone, you are bound to be flattered. Because if he calls you, it's not for nothing, and if he takes the time to explain things to you, it's because he's counting on you.

“During the exchange, he explained to me how he wanted to proceed with me, he told me that I was going to be number three behind Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines. He told me that I was going to learn alongside these great players so that I could claim a place in the future. This project appealed to me.

“It was a pleasure to learn with Lucas, who nevertheless played for FC Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and the French team. The fact that he is French made it easier for me, I was young, in a new country, with a new language. He had this role of big brother."