Yobo: this is all down to Moyes

The defensive rock behind Everton's unlikely rise points to persuasive powers of his manager

They say you can tell a lot about a manager's footballing philosophy from his first signing. For Arsène Wenger at Arsenal, it was an anonymous midfielder from the Milan reserves, Patrick Vieira; for Graham Taylor, in his second stint at Aston Villa, it was the 6ft 5in striker Peter Crouch; while for Kevin Keegan at Manchester City it was the creative Israeli midfielder Eyal Berkovic. The theory would also appear to work in the case of David Moyes at Everton. The Premiership's newest manager took many months before bringing out the cheque book for the first time, but he was determined to get the right man. Joseph Yobo was well worth the wait.

A young striker by the name of Wayne Rooney is receiving all the headlines and plaudits at the moment, but those closest to the club are in no doubt about the key to the present run that has seen the blue half of Merseyside climb to the dizzy heights of fourth place in the Premiership. Yobo is built in the mould of his manager. The Nigerian international is young, dynamic, and sure of himself. He is also happy to let the likes of Rooney take the bulk of the credit. "I'm a defender," he jokes, "so I'm used to taking a back-seat."

On the field, though, there has been nothing shy and retiring about the 22-year-old. He has effortlessly slotted in to the heart of Everton's re-shaped back four, and already proved himself to be one of the most accomplished defenders in the League. It says everything about his impact that Moyes' team have been resolute in defence, particularly at home where they have conceded only five goals so far this season.

Quick and athletic, Yobo is made for English football. "I always believed in myself," he says ahead of today's tricky visit to Blackburn Rovers, "so I knew I could do good things in the Premier League. I love the game here, and my friend Kanu [the Arsenal striker] told me I would like it in England. Even as a defender, it's great always pouring forward and looking for more goals. It's a passionate business, and that is a real treat for me. At Marseille, it was more about tactics and patience; here it's all go."

Judging by his performances so far, it is no wonder that several clubs showed an interest in Yobo this summer. Following the World Cup, in which he showed his versatility by playing in a different position in all three group matches, Everton were in direct competition with the likes of Juventus, Arsenal and Newcastle, but managed to secure Yobo's services thanks to Moyes.

Yobo explains: "After the World Cup [in which he was one of the rare successes for the disappointing Nigerians], I had a lot of options. I had done quite well, especially against England out in Japan when I stopped Michael Owen and Emile Heskey from scoring any goals, so there were some clubs that came knocking at Marseille's door.

"I was a little confused because I am young, but David Moyes helped me make my mind up. No one else persuaded me like the manager here. He gave me all the answers that I needed – not just about the size and ambitions of the club, but also about the life I would lead. He gave me the response I wanted, so I felt confident moving to England."

He adds: "The manager is the main reason for the success here. It has been fantastic working with him and the other star players. The thing about the manager is that he is very clear about what he wants everybody to do. He tells each player what is expected of him, and then wants you to deliver. Most of the time, we're OK, because we are well drilled. That's so important for the team and it's a great strength of the manager. I am just happy because I am learning and the team are playing well."

The deal that brought Yobo to Goodison Park is a complicated one. Due to Everton's on-going financial problems, Moyes has had to buy Yobo on a short-term contract with a view to extending the deal. The centre-back is being paid £1m for his maiden 12 months on Merseyside. He will then become a Marseille player again, although Everton have first refusal for a further four years if they can find £3.5m. They had better. Yobo is just the kind of player the club need if they are to recapture their glory days of old.

"Everton are a big club," he says, "and I definitely want to stay for more than one year to help them do great things again. They didn't have a bad team before I arrived, and with a manager like that I know we can keep doing better. We are starting to do well because everyone is pulling in the same direction and fighting for each other. It feels like a family here. What we have to do now is make sure we continue to work hard. We're close, I would say, so we must keep going. I'm certainly not afraid to work harder to get better."

He might be Yobo by name, but he is anything but by nature. Off the field, he is a quiet and thoughtful man, who has to send part of his wages home to help support his large family. Yobo is also someone who is very sensitive, so when he was told that Everton were regarded in some quarters as a racist club, he nearly did not join them. "Everyone told me, 'Don't go to Everton, because the black people don't do well there. They are racists.' I wasn't sure either way, but when players you know tell you this, it can be worrying." Alex Nyarko, who is technically still an Everton player although he is at present sitting in the Paris St Germain reserves, was one of those who warned Yobo off. Nyarko, though, was not abused because of the colour of his skin, but because of a perceived lack of endeavour while at Goodison.

Yobo is the first to admit as much now that he has tasted life as a Blue: "The fans have been wonderful with me," he says, "and I have no regrets about coming here. I was a little worried at first, but then I remembered that Daniel Amokachi had done well at the club [in the mid-Nineties], so I thought I should have an open mind. It's been great and, even when I was injured [for six weeks after picking up an ankle knock], they never gave me stick. I would tell any black player that it's OK to come to Everton."

Reassured by Yobo's endorsement, large sections of his family are now planning to travel from Riverstate in Nigeria to watch their boy play. No firm arrangements have yet been made, but Yobo already has an idea. "I think it would be good for them to come here for the weekend just before Christmas," he says mischievously. "I'm told there's a good game on that Sunday." The small matter of a Merseyside derby.