Getting back to scoring goals in the Premier League isn’t necessarily as simple as riding a bike after a spell out of the saddle but Dwight McNeil is doing both for Everton under Sean Dyche.
When McNeil signed for the Blues from Burnley in July last year for £20million, many were quick to pounce on the fact that the winger had failed to find the net in 40 matches for the Clarets over the previous season. However, in a campaign in which Everton found goals a precious commodity – as a team they struck just 34 times in 38 Premier League games – McNeil finished their top scorer on seven with five of those coming after he was reunited with Dyche, his former manager from Turf Moor.
He told the ECHO: “I knew I need to score goals, playing in the position I do so it was nice to contribute where I could last year and hopefully that can continue next season. The main thing for us though is to get more points on the board, to try and finish a lot higher and have a more positive season so if that happened, I’d be more happier than scoring more goals.
“The gaffer knew when he came in that we had a good team, he just had to see us, understand us and vice versa. The main thing was staying up but now that everybody knows each other more, we want to take it on further because we know we’ve got a good group here.”
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Unlike most of his Everton team-mates at their training camp by the shores of Lake Geneva, McNeil knows what to expect with a Dyche pre-season but he revealed the moment that has become most iconic with the 52-year-old’s summer sessions has yet to come.
That particular ritual is being reserved until the Blues get back to Finch Farm with a new element for the Rochdale-born player coming in the shape of cycling to sessions.
McNeil said: “We haven’t had ‘Gaffer’s Day’ this week, that’s next week. That’s next Tuesday when we get back.
“He won’t miss out on that because that’s his day. We're definitely doing that.
“Since I’ve known the gaffer, he hasn’t really changed his ways. The main thing at the moment is to get everyone fit, especially after having five weeks off, getting back used to training and the intensity that we’re working at.”
He added: “It’s been good. We trained after we got here on Monday and then did two sessions on Tuesday, one in the morning and then gym in the afternoon and an evening session.
“We did training on Wednesday morning and then team bonding in the afternoon. It’s been hard, the work has been intense but everyone has been enjoying themselves.
“I haven’t been on a bike in years so it was nice to ride a bike again.”
After being involved in two consecutive relegation dog fights – going down with Burnley in 2022 and then surviving on the final day against Bournemouth with Everton last term – something else that the 23-year-old reiterated his desire to avoid an unwanted hat-trick of struggles in 2023/24. McNeil said: “We knew the position that we were in last season and we didn’t want to be in it but the main thing was getting over the line. We know we want to do a lot better this season and that’s our aim.
“We definitely know as a group that we can improve and do better. We’ve got a good team but it’s a difficult league to play in and we’ve got to find our way.
“It’s a different experience being down there and fighting for survival but if you come through it, you can look back on it and focus on what you can improve and do better with going forward next season. We analysed the situation when we were in it but once it was done, it had to be parked as you can’t dwell on one thing in football because things come round so fast and we’ve got to concentrate on next season with different teams and a different challenge.”
