Kieran Dowell has revealed former Rangers hero Mikel Arteta was his Everton idol that inspired him at Goodison Park.
The midfielder emerged through the ranks on Merseyside and embarked on a handful of loan moves before establishing himself at Norwich City.
Dowell made the switch to Ibrox in the summer and has now become aware of the history that his boyhood hero has at the club and the impact Arteta made in Glasgow.
The Spaniard famously scored a dramatic late penalty to help Alex McLeish’s side clinch the title against Dunfermline and he would go on to have quite the influence on Dowell during his successful time with Everton.
Dowell said: "He wouldn't know he was a help but I used to love watching him when I was kid going along to Goodison Park. He was the one player who stood out for me.
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“He was classy, likes to get on the ball and make stuff happen. He stood out for me. There was the odd occasion we trained with him.
"I wasn't too aware of [his past at Rangers]. I was Everton mad as a kid but when I came here I noticed it.
“He was a treble winner here and scored a goal in a massive game. His history is here.
"He was just a positive player on the ball. He was the go-to player for Everton, a regimented player in that team and he was that bit of flair.”
Dowell has quickly settled into Michael Beale’s side following his move from Carrow Road and is pushing for his second Premiership start against Livingston this afternoon.
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The Englishman has been reunited with former team-mate Todd Cantwell in Glasgow and is confident the pair can strike up a positive relationship in the middle of the park.
Dowell said: “We’ve played together plenty of times. I really enjoy playing with him. We bounce off each other well off the pitch.
"He's always been like that since I've known him, he enjoys the pressure. He's a positive guy in general.
“You have to put any disappointment in football behind you. There's no real time to dwell on it or you will take it into the next game.”
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