The seven-time capped England defender has amassed 73 appearances for the Toffees since his £25 million transfer from Burnley in July 2017.
Centre-back Michael Keane has been a rock in the defence for Everton in the 2018/19 Premier League season, and now he is looking forward to a second trip to East Africa.
Hi KICK OFF readers
Everyone at Everton is extremely excited by the prospect of travelling to Africa during the off season, when we will head to Kenya to contest the SportPesa Trophy with Kariobangi Sharks on July 7.
It will be the second time I have visited East Africa as an Everton player following our hugely successful trip to Tanzania two seasons ago.
I had joined the club just a few weeks earlier from Burnley and the time spent in Dar es Salaam was an amazing experience, not only because it enabled me to become acquainted with my new teammates, but it also provided me with an immediate and invaluable insight into the community ethos that underpins our club.
We travelled to Tanzania to play our SportPesa Trophy match against Gor Mahia in front of a sell-out national stadium, but that trip was about far more than just the football as we immersed ourselves in numerous cultural and community activities whilst we were in the country.
Some of the players took part in cooking challenges, others visited local schools and hospitals, and I was part of a group that met participants from a team called Albino United.
It was striking just how passionate and knowledgeable African football fans are and everyone is looking forward to sharing a similar experience with Kenyan football fans when we take on the Sharks at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.
However, before we start working on our preparations for next season, it's important to reflect on the 2018/19 campaign and the encouraging progress we have made under our manager Marco Silva.
In many ways I did not want the season to end because I felt we played some of our best football during the final months of the campaign, particularly at Goodison Park.
To finish by beating Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Burnley in consecutive home fixtures – and without conceding a goal in any of those matches – shows we are heading in the right direction.
It takes a while for players to get used to a new manager's style, and for him to get his methods across on the training ground, but everything has clicked into place in the last few months and you can see the improvement in a lot of individual players, as well as the team.
We are at a stage now where everyone understands and knows what is expected of them, and that has been reflected in the recent performances and results.
Personally, I believe I have had a good season and I am thoroughly enjoying working under the manager.
I know I can still improve but I am always willing to learn. Hopefully I can build on my recent performances and the fans will see even more from me next season.
Whilst it was frustrating to narrowly miss out on qualifying for European football, we enjoyed a really positive finish to the season and look forward to carrying that momentum into the start of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.
We are determined to make the next step as a team, which would be to break into the top-six in the Premier League table.
Until next time, take care Michael Keane.
