Romelu Lukaku says being dropped by manager Roberto Martinez earlier in the season was the “wake up call” he needed.
Everton’s record signing was benched for games with Newcastle United and Hull City over the festive period with Arouna Kone picked to lead the line instead.
Lukaku was brought back into the side for the FA Cup third round tie at home to West Ham and bagged the last minute equaliser to force a replay.
Since the turn of the year the 21-year-old has struck 11 times, including his hat-trick in the Europa League tie with Young Boys.
And the £28m forward says being taken out of the team made him realise that he was no longer guaranteed his place in the starting line-up.
“The manager’s support was always there,” Lukaku said.
“I am a guy that is really dedicated to what he does on the training pitch and I always try to prepare for every game in the perfect way.
“I had difficulties with being physically right earlier in the season and so when he took me out of the team in December I knew I had to wake up.
“But when we went on the training camp in Qatar before the Crystal Palace game, I had a very good week and since then I am back to where I was.
“It was a wake up call. Maybe I needed that. I reacted well when I came back into the team and I have not looked back since.”
Lukaku missed a large chunk of Everton’s pre-season after playing for Belgium in the World Cup but was still asked to lead the line against Leicester City on the opening day because of injuries to other players.
But as the former Chelsea man tried to build-up his match fitness he picked up heel and toe problems of his own.
Lukaku struggled for form, scoring just seven times before January, and now admits that he should not have played through the pain barrier.
“I didn’t have the easiest start to the season because I played with injuries and that is something I should never have done,” he said.
“But I love to play so much that I took the gamble and the risk to play and it took time to get to my level. But from January on, I have been performing consistently and showing people what I am about.
“I got the hamstring injury against QPR but haven’t missed too many games but now it is up to me to get back where I was. I have been training very hard over the last couple of weeks so I am very happy with the level I am at and that promises a lot for the weekend.”