New Everton signing Dwight McNeil has spoken about how he expects manager Frank Lampard to improve his game at Goodison Park.
The £20m winger, who was part of the Burnley side relegated on the final day of last season, is the third summer signing under manager Lampard. James Tarkowski has also arrived from Turf Moor, while left-back Ruben Vinagre has moved to Merseyside on a season-long loan from Sporting CP.
McNeil ended up with seven goals and 17 assists in 134 Premier League games as a Burnley player after making his professional debut for the club as a teenager in 2018. However, with Lampard posting impressive numbers in his playing days - and helping others progress when managing Chelsea before his Everton arrival - the boss has his new recruit excited.
“Speaking to the manager about what they want going forward, it really excited me and appealed to me," McNeil told evertontv. "I wanted to be part of it.
"He knows me as a player, as does [Director of Football] Kevin Thelwell. I want to work hard and do well for the team and for the fans. I feel playing under a manager like Frank Lampard, he will help me to get my stats up – and that is what I want to do and improve my game.
Lampard himself has praised the new arrival, saying: “I have been a big admirer of Dwight for some time. He has huge talent and is exactly the type of player we want to bring into the squad to help us improve.”
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This summer isn't the first time Everton have looked at McNeil as a potential solution to their problems. Former manager Rafa Benitez looked to add the winger to his ranks last summer, but a deal never materialised.
Everton instead signed Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray, with the club targeting cheaper signings before Benitez's dismissal in January. Both played their part under both Benitez and Lampard as the Merseyside club finished 16th, four points and two places ahead of relegated Burnley.
Pre-season has been a challenge, though, with Lampard's side suffering a humbling 4-0 defeat at Minnesota United during a tour of the United States. The club have stepped up their business in the days since, and further signings could follow after McNeil's arrival.
"If we don’t want to be in that situation again, they have to better and I have to be better,” Lampard said after the defeat at Allianz Field. “ As a club, it [the Minnesota game] reinforced the situation in terms of what we need to do with the squad, because it has to be stronger that what we saw tonight.”
