Roberto Martinez thinks that Kevin Mirallas has taken his ex-manager criticism of his strength and used it to improve his fitness and speed.
He said: “At first it takes 10 or 12 months to get your body used to the intensity and he’s a sprinter really. He knows the physical side of the league now and I think he can have an incredible impact.
“Kevin is a vital player for us. I’ve been very happy with him in every single game so far even though at times he hasn’t been given the opportunity to shine as much as others. I do feel that now he’s ready to be fresh and perform well in every game.
“The goal is for him to be influential in many different roles. He is quite unique in the sense that he allows you to counter attack teams with his pace. He turns defence into attack quickly. He takes people on, uses space cleverly, and can play on either wing. He can play behind a striker or even up front as he did for a spell against Chelsea.
“That’s what’s important from him that he is ready to do it whatever we ask of him. He has that experience in the Premier League now.”
“Intially Kevin had been adapting.” he said. “It is a challenging year when you arrive to the Premier League. Those sort of players need a break in the summer to start again. Kevin worked so hard in pre-season that now he’s starting to be fresh again.
“Early on in the season he had accumulated a lot of work and miles. Those sprinter-type players need to be fresh to perform.”