Allardyce defends Klaassen, says he can shine for Everton next season

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Davy Klaassen has struggled on Merseyside since his move to Everton.

Everton manager Sam Allardyce has told the Liverpool Echo that ostracised midfielder Davy Klaassen could shine for the Toffees next season as foreign players struggle with the intensity of the Premier League.

The 24-year-old almost left Everton last month but his deadline-day move from the Toffees to Italian giants Napoli fell through at the last minute due to a dispute over the Netherlands international’s image rights.

Now, Klaassen must focus on looking to regain a place in Allardyce’s side as he looks to resurrect his career after failing to secure a move. But he is up against it, with Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney currently preferred.

Allardyce said the door is open for a return to the side, despite Klaassen failing to be selected in a Premier League squad since October. But he went on to say that foreign players sometimes excel in their second season.

“We could very well have a different player at the start of next season and, for him, he’s got to fight to see if he can get in this season and that may be the case later down the line,” Allardyce said on Klaassen.

“There’s more players that don’t work in their first season than work. So contrary to what everybody thinks, players from abroad don’t work in the first season, they fail more than they succeed, that’s across the board and at every club.

“So it’s season two that really counts. You want them to work in season. You can’t be patient because nobody will let you be patient but in year two, who knows.”

Clocking up just 189 minutes in the Premier League, Klaassen has looked a fraction of the £25million that owner Farhad Moshiri splashed out on the former Ajax captain in the summer.

With four and a half years remaining on his contract at Goodison Park, the 16-time Netherlands international still has plenty of time to show that he is capable of shining for the Merseyside giants – but his start to life at Everton is far from that.