Inside Everton pre-season training as Frank Lampard demands and star performer revealed

Everton’s early pre-season focus has been about creating a squad that is stronger and capable of playing with more intensity - both going forward and in defence.

Amid the injury chaos that blighted the end of the last campaign, Frank Lampard repeatedly expressed his desire to create a team that is more “robust”. That can be achieved, in part, by signings - with James Tarkowski representing the arrival of a centre back who has played more than 30 Premier League games in each of the past five seasons.

Significant attention is also being paid to strengthening the current players, first team coach Chris Jones told the ECHO. And in a fascinating overview of the club’s approach to the first weeks of pre-season he highlighted Dominic Calvert-Lewin as one of several players to have impressed.

Jones was brought in by Lampard after he was hired as Blues boss in January. The respected operator has a wealth of experience at the top of football. He was appointed reserve team fitness coach at Chelsea in 2006 and, after being promoted to the first team staff, he worked with Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink during a period in which the Stamford Bridge side clinched the Champions League, three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one UEFA Cup and a League Cup.

Jones moved across to Derby County to support Lampard then returned to Chelsea before teaming up with him again at Finch Farm. The pair arrived on Merseyside to a squad plagued by injuries to key players from Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina to Fabian Delph. Further knocks to the likes of Ben Godfrey and on-loan Donny van de Beek also undermined Everton’s efforts to avoid relegation - though the drop was eventually escaped so memorably in the penultimate