Former mentor insists Sigurdsson’s spell at Tottenham Hotspur was under appreciated

Follow us on Google Discover

Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson left Tottenham in 2014.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s former manager Paul Simpson has insisted he viewed the midfielder’s spell at Tottenham as a success.

Sigurdsson is preparing to star at the World Cup with Iceland, when they take on Argentina on Saturday.

The midfielder landed a big money move to Everton last summer from Swansea City.

It is a long way from when he played at Shrewsbury on loan from Reading a decade ago under Simpson.

Simpson has suggested, speaking to Everton’s website, that Sigurdsson’s brief spell at Tottenham was under appreciated and he just did not have the faith of his managers.

He said: “I thought Gylfi would get another chance with a really big club after Tottenham and he has played for fantastic clubs right through his career.

“Whenever I saw him at Tottenham he produced something, whether he created a goal or scored himself.

“It is a case of finding the right club, where they have faith in your ability and want to give you that responsibility of being a key figure in the team, and I think he has that at Everton.”

Sigurdsson played under three managers at Everton last year and struggled for consistency, scoring only four goals and providing three assists.

That was poor compared to his 2016/17 return for Swansea when he scored nine and created 13, and he will be looking to kick on under new Everton manager Marco Silva next season.

At Tottenham, Sigurdsson scored 13 goals in 83 appearances, providing nine assists.

He was also at the club during a time of inconsistency, under Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood, while having to compete with Christian Eriksen for game time.