Harry Redknapp suggested Donny van de Beek’s fortunes could be reversed following his imminent loan move from Manchester United to Everton.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth manager proposed a change of scenery might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Van de Beek.
The Dutchman is on the verge of signing for Everton’s new manager Frank Lampard until the end of the season.
Some might view this as a risk on Lampard’s behalf. He will be recruiting a player who hasn’t started a Premier League game since the final day of 2020/21.
Since then, the midfielder has accumulated a mere 70 minutes of top-flight action. His last appearance of any note came against Young Boys in the Champions League, where he managed the entire match for just the second time this term.
Everton perhaps the perfect place for Van de Beek
Lampard is also landing someone whose luck accurately co-ordinates with Everton’s recent form. Rafa Benitez left Goodison Park on the back of one win from 14 league fixtures. The Toffees are now closer to the relegation zone than they are mid-table.
They will hope a fresh face in the dugout can be the catalyst for a revival. And it’s something Van de Beek must be hoping for as well.
Behind the solemn expression and slumped shoulders lurks a man who was once part of a golden generation in Holland.
“Frank knows he needs some results. They are sucked into it for sure. He’s getting the boy from Man United hopefully today, whose career needs resurrecting,” said Redknapp.
“His confidence is low, but there’s a footballer in there. We saw him at Ajax, the boy can really play. It’s up to Frank now to get the best out of him.”
Thankfully for Van de Beek, he will be working with one of the game’s greatest ever midfield generals.
Although his managerial accruement has been put into question sometimes, there is no doubting Lampard’s on-field intelligence.
If he can translate that knowledge into coaching Everton’s new recruit, a career revival will be on the cards.
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