Journalist compares Dwight McNeil to Everton legend Kevin Sheedy, shares what Sean Dyche loves about him
Dwight McNeil has “really been shining” lately and has elements of his game that are similar to Kevin Sheedy, according to journalist Paul Brown.
Winger McNeil has been influential in recent games as the Toffees have racked up three straight Premier League victories, the first of which was a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in which the former Burnley man scored the winner while he was also on target in the 3-0 triumph against Newcastle United.
And Brown, speaking to GIVEMESPORT (11 December), paid him a pretty big compliment in mentioning his name alongside Everton great Sheedy, while pointing out the key attribute he has that Sean Dyche particularly loves.
“I want to talk about Dwight McNeil, not just against Chelsea, but in the last few weeks, I think he’s really been shining,” Brown said.
“He’s not in the same class and will probably never reach the same level, but at times, I see little glimpses of Kevin Sheedy in McNeil. There were a couple of moments in the Chelsea game that were really good.
“He’s got an ability to drive forward. He’s obviously got great shooting range, a little bit of vision. He’s been making and creating goals lately and he’s also exactly what Sean Dyche likes when it comes to putting a defensive shift in.”
High praise
It really is high praise for McNeil to even been mentioned in the same breath of Sheedy, who is a bonafide legend at Goodison Park.
Sheedy made 357 appearances and scored 97 goals for Everton during a 10-year spell with the club between 1982-1992, winning the First Division title on two occasions and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
At this moment in time, McNeil is far from emulating those achievements and being held in the same sort of regard as Sheedy is, but in the here and now he really is a player in form and is the embodiment of a team giving their all and fighting for everything on the pitch.
For McNeil, it is about staying grounded, working hard, and doing all he can to help Everton keep climbing the table after their controversial 10-point deduction. You get the feeling that a player so entrenched in the Dyche philosophy will do nothing less.
In other Everton news, Leon Osman sent a message to supporters after footage emerged following the win over Chelsea.