Troy Deeney has looked beyond Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish when naming Everton's 'best performer this season'
Football pundit Troy Deeney
Football pundit Troy Deeney(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
View Image
Last season’s top scorer Iliman Ndiaye has carried on where he left off while Jack Grealish has made an impressive start to life by the banks of the Mersey. But Troy Deeney has declared an unsung hero as Everton’s best performer so far this season.
Ndiaye netted 11 goals for the Blues in all competitions in 2024/25, including the final two strikes at Goodison Park in the 2-0 win over Southampton on May 18.
He then followed that up with the first-ever goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium as David Moyes’ men defeated Brighton & Hove Albion on August 24 and he remains top of their charts this term after his spectacular solo strike at Sunderland last Monday took him on to four for the current campaign.
Deeney’s fellow Brummie Grealish, the first £100million English footballer, joined Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City and, after being named Premier League Player of the Month for the first time in his career for August after four assists from his first two starts, he netted a dramatic first-ever stoppage time winner at Hill Dickinson Stadium as the Blues came from behind to defeat Crystal Palace 2-1.
However, neither of these two have been picked as Deeney’s choice, though.
Having named in him in his BBC Football Premier League Team of the Week, the former Watford striker said of Michael Keane: “Considering they let him go at the end of last year and he was exploring his options, he has arguably been their best performer this season.
“Another goal, another clean sheet at home to Fulham.
“I think he is really starting to express himself in a way that people were not expecting.”
With Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez in goal, Deeney picked Keane in a back four in a 4-3-3 formation, alongside Sunderland’s Dan Ballard at centre-back with Chelsea’s Malo Gusto at right-back and Crystal Palace’s Jaydee Canvot at left-back.
Aston Villa’s former Everton player Amadou Onana was chosen in midfield alongside Nico Gonzalez of Manchester City and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest while up front Deeney selected Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku either side of Brentford’s Igor Thiago.
Keane netted his second goal of the season with an 81st-minute header in the 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, which he admitted to the ECHO went in off his shoulder as Everton kept their first clean sheet since the goalless draw at home to Aston Villa on September 13.
He also top scored in this correspondent’s player ratings for the ECHO with a mark of 9 for his dominant display at either end of the pitch.
For the latest Everton FCnews and breaking news, visithttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/everton-fc. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @LivEchoEFC - the official Liverpool ECHO Everton Twitter account - real news in real time.
We're also on Facebook/LiverpoolEchoEFC - your must-see RFC news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
Listen to our podcasts by searching for 'Royal Blue' wherever you get your podcasts.
Sign up for one of the Liverpool Echo's free daily and weekly newsletters on Evertonby clicking here.