Dwight McNeil makes claim over preferred role after Everton injury nightmare

Dwight McNeil makes claim over preferred role after Everton injury nightmare

EXCLUSIVE: Dwight McNeil shares his hopes for the new season with ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley on the Blues' tour of the USA

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Dwight McNeil believes this is a “massive season” for both himself and Everton as he looks to kick on to a new phase in his career following a major reset in his approach.

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The Rochdale-born player celebrates his 26th birthday on November 22 and as a professional footballer he sees as a milestone moment by entering his late 20s, believing it should be a time to deliver. McNeil told the ECHO: “I definitely see this as a big season for me in terms of taking things on from last year. I think this is going to be a massive year for the whole club with the new stadium.

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“We know with the gaffer where he wants the club to be. I want to be a part of that and it’s a massive season for me personally as I want to kick on. I’m turning 26 this year, so for me with where I want to go, I need to be pushing on and helping the team as much as I can.

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“I see myself as a senior player now. Sometimes lads ask me for certain things, and it was not so long ago that it was me doing that.

“It’s nice to be part of the older lads and being one of those who you think can help those around you.”

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For McNeil, it’s not cut and dry just where on the pitch he’ll be playing his football in 2025/26, but he hopes that his versatility can prove an asset for the team. Having spent most of his career on the left wing, he was deployed in a central ‘number 10’ role by Sean Dyche early last season before finishing the campaign as an inverted winger on the right for David Moyes.

Against Bournemouth for Everton’s Premier League Summer Series opener, the £20million signing from Burnley in 2022 filled in at left wing back as one of five players who Moyes lamented he had to pick out of position. McNeil said: “It’s a bit different than playing off the left and at the start of last season, I was playing more in the middle, which I really enjoyed. Playing on the right is a bit different, but I’m enjoying playing there as well as I just want to be on the pitch and helping the team out as much as I can.”

Indeed, with Iliman Ndiaye and Charly Alcaraz both able to switch positions in the three roles behind the striker, McNeil reckons there is a significant degree of tactical flexibility. He said: “I definitely think that the likes of myself, Charly and Iliman can interchange our roles in the attacking midfield areas. It’s good to be able to switch things up and we’re still learning about what each other likes to do on the pitch and when is best to support and what angles work as they’re two massive players for us now.”

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Another significant reason for this being a pivotal moment for everyone at the club is the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium. Having been relegated with the Clarets just before switching to Everton and then having to play in the last day escape against Bournemouth at the end of his first campaign on Merseyside, McNeil is looking forward to what he hopes will be better times ahead.

He said: “Moving to the new stadium is massive. We got to train there just before we came out and we play Roma there when we get back.

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“We’re really looking forward to it. It’s going to be an amazing stadium, but it has to emphasise what we want to do, as we’ve got the stadium now, but we need to go on a journey to get the club back to where they used to be.

“Hopefully it has the best of both worlds as there will be more Evertonians in there, but because of its design, we hope it retains that Goodison feel. When I’ve played at Goodison and we’re in good moments then it was rocking.

“There are certain games and certain moments so hopefully going into the new stadium, there will be more of those.”

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McNeil is also hoping to bounce back from an injury-hit campaign that saw him out for four months after going off in the 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 4. Being sidelined caused him to change his mindset and he believes it worked with his recovery.

He said: “I think I’m definitely stronger from coming through what I faced with injuries last season. The think that was most frustrating for me was how well I’d started the season.

“I was playing mostly in the centre, where I want to play, so that was really frustrating and with it being my first serious injury, I didn’t know how to handle the situation. It was me taking a step back from everything, like social media and being away from the lads and stuff like that.

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“Personally, it’s just what I needed at that time. I want to make sure that when I came back, I was fully fit to finish the season well.

“I got to play again, and my only aim was just to play, but I was happy to impact the games as well. Pre-season has been really full-on and I want to avoid getting a reoccurring injury. So it’s fingers crossed.”

Everton go to Chicago to play their second Premier League Summer Series game against West Ham United on Wednesday, but McNeil has been glad to swap Finch Farm for the Big Apple so far. He said: “It’s really nice. It’s my first time being in New York and I’m really enjoying it.

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“It’s really good to train at a different place. It’s nice to get away from the training ground and be in a different environment but we always knew this trip would bring three big games against teams that we’ll be playing this season, so it’s a good test to face them now to see where we’re at and provide a marker for the season.

“I think one of the main benefits is with the fitness, because the conditions are not like this at home. Training is hard over here because of the heat, but the main thing for me is to get away.”

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