Everton striker Thierno Barry has quickly become a key figure in the club’s early-season resurgence, with manager David Moyes highlighting the French forward’s improved mindset as a catalyst for his recent success. Barry, 23, scored his first hat-trick for the club in Wednesday’s 4-0 Carabao Cup victory over Preston North End, following his goal in Everton’s 2-0 Premier League win against Crystal Palace.

The forward’s early season form marks a significant turnaround after a difficult debut campaign. Barry joined Everton from Villarreal last year for £27 million but took five months to score his first goal. Throughout that period, the player appeared visibly frustrated, occasionally seeming close to tears. However, Barry spent the summer working with a sports psychologist, focusing on building his confidence and refining his mental approach to the game.

Moyes praised Barry’s self-driven efforts, commenting that the striker has taken ownership of his personal development. “He’s looked at himself,” Moyes said. “You have to give the boy credit because he’s tried to improve himself and that’s what you have to do. We try to give him confidence like we do all the players but sometimes you have to get it yourself.” Moyes added that the recent goals would significantly boost Barry’s confidence and that success for centre-forwards often depends on both confidence and positioning.

Barry himself spoke about the challenges he faced during his first season and the work he undertook in preseason. “I was just trying to work on my confidence and this summer is the first time I had two weeks where I didn’t touch the ball,” he said. “I just focused on my mindset because the first season was really hard. When I start to touch the ball, I want to do it with confidence, because I know I can play — now I need to show it.”

Everton also continue to face injury issues in midfield, with recent signing Christian Norgaard still sidelined due to a muscle injury. The Danish midfielder, acquired from Arsenal for £7 million, has yet to make his debut as Moyes indicated that progress in his rehabilitation remains slow. “Christian is still not making great progress. We’re probably not going to get him back quickly,” Moyes confirmed ahead of Everton’s upcoming Premier League fixture away to Bournemouth.