The Icelandic attacking midfielder tore Palace apart with the help of Wayne Rooney and could well be the one to fill the void once the captain retires.
Everton pulled nine points clear of the relegation zone on Saturday after a commanding win over Crystal Palace.
It took until the second half for either team to get on the score sheet. However, Gylfi Sigurdsson’s opener, 45 seconds after the break, sparked an Everton onslaught.
With current captain Wayne Rooney playing in a deeper role, Sigurdsson has been allowed to flourish in the areas behind the striker, and it now looks as though manager Sam Allardyce has found a useful combination giving both players crucial roles; something which many thought was not possible.
The Icelandic midfielder has netted six goals in 30 appearances for the Toffees and is beginning to justify his summer price tag.
With former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney to learn from, Garth Crooks has suggested that Sigurdsson himself would make a fine Everton captain some day.
Allardyce has no doubt been a huge positive for Everton’s season, and his organisation of the team to allow so many players of a similar position to fit into his starting XI has been a great piece of management by the former England coach, as Crooks pointed out.
Speaking to the BBC, Crooks said: “Gylfi Sigurdsson didn’t play against the Gunners but the Iceland international pulled Palace apart with the support of Wayne Rooney.
“Allardyce appreciates Goodison Park is a fortress for the team, and just as well because Everton’s away form this season has been abysmal.
“However, what Allardyce has done is get Sigurdsson playing again. With a little bit of luck, the Everton boss might make a captain out of him. If Allardyce can accomplish that, Everton will have produced something quite special in Sigurdsson.”
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