Donny van de Beek has admitted the extent of his struggles at Manchester United – and hopes he can recapture his love for football at Everton.
The Netherlands international moved to Goodison Park on a temporary arrangement in January. He had made just eight league appearances for United this term, scoring once.
Despite the Red Devils going through two managers – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick – van de Beek simply did not get a look in.
It is a far cry from the dynamic midfielder that arrived at Old Trafford in 2020. Van de Beek signed from Ajax for a fee of £35 million.
With the Eredivisie giants, van de Beek scored 28 goals and provided 23 assists in his final three seasons. United fans were expecting much of the same from the 24-year-old in Manchester.
But even from game one, van de Beek barely featured in United’s starting XI. He made only four starts out of the 19 games he played last season. Although he appeared to struggle defensively, his attacking quality was seen in glimpses throughout his brief cameos.
Donny van de Beek begins life at Everton
Van de Beek is now settling into life at Goodison Park, under the management of Frank Lampard. As one of the Premier League’s greatest ever goalscorers, the former Chelsea man could well be the coach the Dutchman needs to unlock his full potential.
Van de Beek played the full 90 minutes in Everton’s 3-0 win over Leeds last Saturday. Afterwards, his manager singled him out for high praise.
Lampard explained: “On a professional level, since speaking to him, him coming and seeing him train, I am absolutely impressed with his fitness and his game sharpness. When you’re watching training, it doesn’t surprise you.
“When I think back to the time he has had at Manchester United, he’s a top-level player. He was when Manchester United signed him, and he was at Ajax.”
He was less successful during Everton’s clash with Southampton, however, with the Toffees falling to a 2-0 defeat. The midfielder struggled to make an impact.
Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of that fixture, van de Beek made a sad remark about how his time at Everton compares to United.
He explained: “There are new players, a new coach. It’s like a new start. If you see now the way the club is in the table, they want to go up.
“Me also, I want to play, I want to go again, to show what I can do. I want to play football again and be happy again.”
Van de Beek’s last sentence will surely resonate with the United faithful, who were desperate to see him given more chances at the club. The Dutchman will now be hoping to get his career back on track at Goodison Park over the remainder of this season – and perhaps beyond.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
