Everton are flourishing with David Moyes back in the dugout. It’s almost as if he never left.
The Scottish tactician has won four of his last five Premier League matches, drawing against Liverpool, since returning, having narrowly fallen to Aston Villa in his (second) managerial debut for the Toffees.
Whether Everton are enjoying a big bounce or have hit sustainable form remains to be seen, but you’d certainly say that Moyes’ return has unlocked something long dormant in this squad, and with the right summer planning, perhaps the club’s future lies higher up the table.
There are some exciting names dappled across the Blues first team, with one or two gifted enough to become all-timers within Moyes’ storied Everton career.
Moyes' greatest Everton players
If Moyes could pick his favourite former players across an 11-year term in the Goodison Park dugout, he’d have an outfit capable of challenging the Premier League’s current elite.
Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka are in the mix, the defenders chalking up 805 appearances between them. While both Englishmen stretched beyond Moyes’ tenure, they broke out under his wing and were shaped into the Merseyside icons they became through his guidance.
Wayne Rooney didn’t stay at his boyhood club for long but is one of English football’s all-time superstars and was bestowed a professional breakthrough by Moyes, who called him “one of England’s finest, if not their finest player.”
Everton’s latter-day frontline has left plenty to be desired, but already, through the likes of Beto, the 61-year-old boss is proving that he can revive the thrill factor, the goals.
Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Louis Saha, Kevin Campbell, Ayegbeni Yakubu. Just some of the goal-assist heroes throughout Everton’s halcyon days. Great players all.
However, Moyes always loved Steven Pienaar, cherished him. The South African artist may be reincarnated in this 2025 iteration. You probably know who.
Moyes' new Steven Pienaar
Pienaar: fleet-footed and flamboyant. The quick feet and sure-willed dribbling made the winger a difficult customer for any defence, and he played an instrumental role for Moyes across two spells, joining on loan before signing permanently on both occasions.
Though half of his second stint fell after Moyes was anointed as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Old Trafford, Pienaar’s drop-off was startling, injuries swallowing him up and leaving him scraping for for the fringes of action.
In Iliman Ndiaye, Everton’s manager may just have his new version of the distinguishable Premier League icon. Ndiaye plays off the left flank and is known for his devastating and direct ability.
As per FBref, the Senegalese star ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers currently in the Premier League for successful take-ons per 90, also averaging 2.4 dribbles and winning a whopping 6.1 duels per match.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Unlike Pienaar, Ndiaye is more of a direct threat, scoring in three successive games for Moyes’ Everton before being forced off early against Liverpool, now sidelined for several weeks.
But the fact remains that he is a top talent, endowed with athletic vigour and skilful motions. He has been hailed for his “magic” by Sky Sports commentator Seb Hutchinson, and rightly so.
Aged 24, Ndiaye’s got plenty left to give Everton, with his prolific potential perhaps even enough to see him rise above Pienaar and become one of the Toffees’ most potent attacking forces under Moyes’ tutelage, should he stick around that long.
1.
Tim Cahill
68
28
96
2.
Leon Osman
51
26
77
3.
Mikel Arteta
35
35
70
4.
Steven Pienaar
25
40
65
5.
Leighton Baines
22
37
59
No player in the history of Moyes’ managerial career has supplied more assists for his team than Pienaar, narrowly above West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen (39).
But he balanced his output, more than just goals, more than just assists. The same is true for Ndiaye, a player who you pay to see, who raises the roof and raises supporters, raises belief.
Moyes is a talented manager and clearly knows his stuff, but he’s certainly thanking his stars that he has entered a beleaguered Everton side and found one of English football’s biggest gems.
As you can see above, analyst Ben Mattinson observes that Everton’s star forward carries the unpredictable and giddying brand that emulates that of Moyes’ former servant, hailing his “Steven Pienaar 2.0 vibes.”
In times to come, fans may well look back (if they are not already) and hail Sean Dyche and Farhad Moshiri for parting with something positive, signing Marseille’s mercurial talent for just £15m.
Across 28 matches so far, the wideman has bagged eight goals (six in the Premier League) across 28 appearances, yet to provide an assist for a profligate frontline but hardly coming across as possessive on the field, conducting himself with the command and swagger of a talisman.
As Mattinson suggests, Ndiaye has enough natural quality to play for near any team across the division, serving at least as a dynamic and dangerous squad player.
His instant goalscoring success with Moyes holding the strings bodes well for his future. He’d already been a leading light through a dark Dyche-led start, and now holds the keys to the next level in Everton’s development.
Oh, Ndiaye has Pienaar vibes, sure, but maybe he could become something even greater in this juxtaposing new-old Moyes team.
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