Steven Pienaar has been impressed by Everton’s Idrissa Gueye.
Steven Pienaar has told Everton’s official website that Idrissa Gueye’s importance to the team cannot be understated.
The 28-year-old midfielder has been one of the few positives in an otherwise disappointing season for the Toffees, starting 26 of Everton’s 29 Premier League games so far.
Gueye, who joined from Aston Villa in 2015, has been a key figure in defensive midfield and only three midfielders – Nemanja Matic, Wilfred Ndidi and Abdoulaye Doucoure – have managed more than his 247 ball recoveries.
Likewise, there are only five players who have intercepted the ball more for their team than Gueye (48) and Everton legend Pienaar believes that the Senegal international is a huge player for Sam Allardyce’s side.
He told the club’s official website: “Idrissa Gana Gueye is important, too. If you look at all the clubs they have one of those players. Chelsea have Kante. Tottenham have Dembele, Dier or Wanyama who can play that position – City have Fernandinho.
“For me he is really important because he does the dirty work but is also good on the ball. You need a link between defence and attack and he is that guy.”
If the options ahead of Gueye in midfield – like, say, Davy Klaassen and Morgan Schneiderlin – were a little better then Everton probably wouldn’t be 11th in the Premier League table.
But far too many in Allardyce’s side have under-performed this season and Gueye might be hoping to have better players in front of him from next season onwards.
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