Dwight McNeil like Cole Palmer as ‘Dangerous’ Everton shining light emerges
Joe Hart has compared Dwight McNeil to Cole Palmer after being impressed with his performances for Everton this season.
The former goalkeeper, who is well aware of the 25-year-old from his time at Burnley, feels his mentality is similar to that of the Chelsea star.
Speaking on BBC Live 5 Sport [23 November, 14:40] ahead of the Blues’ 0-0 draw with Brentford, Hart lauded his ability to create “moments of magic” for the Toffees.
“With Everton, he’s got that real simple way of playing, he’s one of those players that doesn’t particularly look out of breath,” he said.
“He almost doesn’t look like he’s trying, and I know he is, I say that knowing full well what goes into his hard work.
“Like a Cole Palmer for example, we just looked at him there, he just had a shot cleared off the line by his own player [in Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Leicester] and he shrugged his shoulders and got on with it. Dwight’s very much that same sort of mentality.
“He’ll play with freedom, he’ll try things, he’s got a wand of a left foot – a really, really dangerous left foot.
“A team like Everton who are more often than not in situations where you need consistency and they’re almost struggling, he’s the shining light and he will keep playing no matter what, and he can produce those moments of magic.”
Dwight McNeil compared to Cole Palmer at Everton
Hart played four games with McNeil during their time together at Burnley and is very much aware of the hard work the Englishman puts in.
However, Everton fans do not need reminding of the winger’s abilities, having seen him step up for the Toffees when needed this season.
McNeil has undoubtedly been one of their best players so far and the same can be said about Palmer at Chelsea. Hart comparing him to the England international is a huge testament to his contributions to Sean Dyche’s side.
It is no surprise that the former Burnley man’s absence was felt when Dyche and Co. played out a 0-0 draw with West Ham at the London Stadium before the international break.
He returned to the lineup against Brentford at Goodison Park on 23 November, but could not make a difference.
Hart, meanwhile, is not the first pundit to wax lyrical about McNeil recently, with Glenn Murray praising him for his influence amid Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles.
Dyche will be hopeful that the Rochdale-born player can avoid serious injuries for the rest of the season as he looks to keep the Goodison Park outfit in the Premier League.
In other Everton news, a new update regarding a potential swap deal with Roma in the January transfer window has emerged.
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