Michael Carrick has admitted that Donny van de Beek will feel he ‘didn’t have enough’ game time at Manchester United, but he is ‘delighted’ that he is now getting that at Everton, as he told Premier League Productions (07/03/22 at 7:10 pm).
The former Manchester United coach added that ‘football is funny’, in that respect, as he praised how ‘versatile’ the on-loan Everton player can be.
During the January transfer window, Van de Beek was left with no choice but to leave the Manchester United bench in the hope of earning Premier League starts on-loan at Everton.
Well, the new Toffees boss, Frank Lampard, is certainly providing that for him, even if Everton did get thrashed 5-0 at the hands of Tottenham on Monday night.
Even though Carrick would have been part of the Manchester United staff that time and time again decided against handing the Dutch international starts, he shared a pretty interesting take on the qualities he has in his locker.
“I am delighted for Donny,” said Carrick. “He is a terrific lad. Great attitude.
“Football is funny, at times. Sometimes things don’t work how you want them to work for a variety of reasons when you make a move to a certain club.
“I am delighted he is playing. He needed games. He obviously didn’t have enough, he will be saying, over the last year or so.
“He’s so versatile as well. He has got different strengths. He has played in a three tonight, but I think he is really dangerous in and around the box. But he is really clever in and around the box.”
Given Carrick’s praise for Van de Beek, it begs the question as to why he wasn’t picked on a more regular basis at Old Trafford.
It’s not like Man United have been setting the tone in the Premier League this season, in fact, far from it because they have been abject.
For Van de Beek, even though he is in a relegation battle on Merseyside, he needs to use this loan spell to send out a few messages.
If the former Ajax man can help an out-of-sorts Everton side to safety, then it might just do his reputation the world of good.
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