Carlo Ancelotti did not realise how good Ben Godfrey was before his club record move from Norwich City.

Godfrey was man-of-the-match in Everton's midweek 2-1 Premier League win at Leeds, deployed in his more familiar centre back role, after a spell operating at left back for the Toffees since his Canaries' switch.

The 23-year-old left Carrow Road last summer, in a deal that could eventually rise to £25m for Norwich, and will be a key figure again for Ancelotti in Saturday night's league trip to Manchester United.

"He’s powerful, he has a lot of energy, tactically intelligent, really aggressive in the duels and so he can play in different positions and this is really important," said the vastly experienced Italian. "He’s doing really well.

"What can I say? It was a surprise for me because I knew him, but not a lot and I found a really fantastic defender because he has all the quality that a defender needs.

"The personality that he has, the focus that he is able to keep in every single moment of the training and of the game, this is what surprised me.”

Godfrey himself already feels at home at Goodison Park.

"For any player, leaving a club and joining a new one, it can be hard and sometimes takes a little bit of time to settle in," he said, on Everton's official site. "But that’s not been the case, I’ve been welcomed in and that’s credit to the boys as well as the fans, and the club as a whole.

"For me, as someone who is new into the club, it’s good to learn from some of these boys. They have played at the very top and I am trying to do exactly the same.

“Learning alongside them is great and I’m enjoying being a part of this team."

"It’s another massive game (against United) and they are coming thick and fast. Consistency is key. We’ve got to keep digging in and hopefully there are many more good results to come."