Dwight McNeil, a winger for Burnley, was acquired by Everton on Thursday in a transaction reportedly worth £20 million ($24 million). Following Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League last season, McNeil quickly returned to the league and signed a five-year contract with Everton. In 137 appearances for the Clarets in the Premier League, the 22-year-old scored seven goals.
McNeil is eager to work with Everton manager Frank Lampard after beginning his career at Manchester United before joining the Burnley academy. “It is an amazing feeling to sign. When I heard about Everton’s interest I wanted to get it done straight away because of the club and how good the team is,” McNeil said. He believes that having a manager like Frank Lampard will help me improve my stats.
After rescuing Everton from relegation after taking over for Rafael Benitez in the second half of the season, Lampard has been eager to overhaul the team. Along with former Burnley teammate James Tarkowski and Ruben Vinagre, who is on a season-long loan from Sporting Lisbon, McNeil is Everton’s third close-season acquisition.
“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,” Lampard said.
