Nigeria international Alex Iwobi believes it was time well spent for Everton during their recent pre-season camp in Lake Geneva.

The Toffees held five days of first pre-season under manager Sean Dyche in France and Switzerland for intense training sessions and a first friendly fixture, a game the Premier League side won 2-1, courtesy of second-half strikes from Katia Kouyate and Neal Maupay.

However, it was the Super Eagle, who played a key role in the goals, providing a superb assist for 19-year-old Kouyate for the opener, as well as the pass into Francis Okoronkwo, who was then awarded a penalty to allow Maupay to register on the scoresheet for the third.

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“It’s been tough… of course, it was my first week back,” Iwobi told evertonfc.com, adding: “It’s been hard, it’s been hot, it’s been humid – but those conditions will help us for the season. It’s been good to be back amongst teammates as well. Good vibes, good banter. I’ve missed it. The chemistry has been very good here and it’s nice to be back. The spirit is high amongst us.”

The Super Eagle further stressed the importance of Everton avoiding battling in the relegation zone like it was the case last season. He said: “Obviously, as a team, we don’t want to be where we were last year. We want to improve and with the players we have, with the quality we have, we should be able to do that.

“The main things are to remain consistent and have that mental toughness to go again every game. It’s a clean slate and a fresh start and we’re working hard for it. Not just on the pitch but off the pitch we’ve been bonding well together.”

The 27-year-old Iwobi featured in all 41 of Everton’s competitive games during the course of the 2022-23 campaign, racking up 11 goal involvements (nine assists, two goals) in the process. He also made three international appearances for Nigeria to take his overall cap tally to 63.