Dwight McNeil has barely seen minutes this season, and the winger is firmly out of the immediate plans for David Moyes.
The Englishman has featured in just one Premier League game this season, playing just 19 minutes.
It is a far cry from the impact he once had at the club, having started 33 games back in the 2023/2024 season.
Last campaign, he was still an important member of the squad, but injuries meant he did not play as much as he would have hoped.
When David Moyes returned to Everton, McNeil was sidelined, and he would ultimately only start twice towards the end of the season.
The summer window saw the club acquire multiple players in the forward department, and his role at Everton is up in the air.
There have been reports that McNeil’s future could be away from Hill Dickinson.
David Moyes has now spoken about McNeil’s situation.
Everton manager David Moyes.
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
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David Moyes still backing Dwight McNeil to give Everton quality
Dwight McNeil has found himself on the sidelines for Everton in the wake of the form of both Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye, but David Moyes insists he can still push his way back into the team.
The lack of minutes will no doubt frustrate the winger, but hearing his manager say there is a chance to return should light a fire in his belly.
Speaking on the situation with McNeil, Moyes said, “He has to keep pushing to get into the side. As you can see, we’ve changed a few players in the attacking areas; we’re trying to improve there.
“Dwight can give us something which we want. He has got the ability to create goals and make goals, but he has got competition now.
“I think maybe this time last year, Dwight could have been Everton’s best player, and he was injured when I first came in. So, he has to get back to that and show that, and as I said, he’s got stiff opposition in front of him, but he did okay for the Under-21s the other night.”
Dwight McNeil can still play a big role for David Moyes
After returning from injury, McNeil found his game time limited, playing just 228 minutes from a possible 720 towards the end of the last campaign.
However, his quality in the limited time was clear. In the final eight games of the season, the winger picked up four goal contributions: one goal and three assists.
He averaged a goal or assist every 57 minutes. Of course, the sample size is small, but it does highlight that the 25-year-old can have an impact for David Moyes.
This season he has yet to have that same influence, and after a poor performance against Wolves, fans believed it was his final chance.
It will be a tough battle getting back into the Scotsman’s plans, but with Moyes crediting him as ‘Everton’s best player’ when he arrived, it is obvious he still knows himself what McNeil can offer.