"He will be a real fan favorite again" - Noel Whelan suggests Manchester United loanee will be desperate to perform at new club
Noel Whelan has backed Donny van de Beek to become a fan favorite at Everton. The Dutchman has moved on loan to the Merseyside club from Manchester United for the rest of the season and is set to debut this month.
Everton appointed Frank Lampard as their next manager this week and he has roped in two signings in midfield. Van de Beek was one, while Dele Alli joined on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur.
Welcome to Everton Football Club, @Donny_beek6! ✍️🔵
While speaking with Football Insider regarding van de Beek's loan move to Everton, Whelan was confident the 24-year-old would be a success.
He added that the loanee would become a fan favorite at Goodison Park because of the qualities he is bound to bring on the pitch.
"He'll have a real point to prove, absolutely. It's a new start for him now in the Premier League. He'll have been so frustrated at Man United because it will have been costing him a place in the Netherlands squad. He'll be desperate to make a success of this Everton spell with the World Cup coming up.
"This is a real opportunity to be part of an exciting project, under a fresh new manager. The squad looks a lot stronger. Van de Beek is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, we saw that with Ajax – and I think at Everton he will be a real fan favourite again."
Van de Beek keen on working under Lampard at Everton
After his loan switch, van de Beek spoke to Everton's official website and claimed he was excited to work under Lampard.
A Dutch tale.
@Donny_beek6 🇳🇱 https://t.co/h7C51tZSp0
The midfielder recalled facing the manager while he was at Ajax and they met Chelsea in the Champions League.
"I played against him when I was at Ajax, and he was at Chelsea [as manager], so he knows me as a player. He thinks I have qualities that can help the team.
"I can learn a lot from him because he was a little bit in the same position – a midfield player who scored a lot of goals. He can help me a lot, so I think I'm in a good spot."
Van de Beek is fit and is expected to make his Premier League debut against Newcastle United next week.