Dewsbury-Hall proving a shrewd signing for Everton

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It’s been a joy to watch Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall slot straight into the Everton engine room and make an immediate impact following his £28 million move from Chelsea in the summer.

 

Oozing confidence, crafty with his movement, masterful in possession and a serious goal and assist threat, he's already emerged as a key figure for David Moyes, who he's relishing playing under.

 

“After speaking to the manager and seeing the ambitions with the new stadium and everything, it felt like the right club, it felt like the right fit for me for the next step,” Dewsbury-Hall insisted.

 

"[Moyes] said he's been admiring me for a while; he loves the way I play and just explained to me what he sees me doing in my role in this team. That's what you want to hear as a player. I have enormous respect for him, he's a legend of the game, so it'll be a pleasure to work under him.”

 

So intelligent with his movement and dovetailing brilliantly with fellow new man Jack Grealish, this part of his game has been integral towards his success.

 

Attentive to open space and showing outstanding spatial awareness, his penetrative runs into the final third have been crucial as always, for his surges frequently inject extra impetus into the Toffees' attacks.

 

Image 1 - Dewsbury-Hall great run in behind

 

Timing and directing his bursts superbly while defenders are preoccupied or ball watching, he routinely arrives in quality areas to not only be a fine outlet but also to force opponents into adjustments that can consequently benefit teammates.

 

Image 2 - Receiving at the edge of the box

 

A highly proficient scanner, he also excels at finding room between the lines and in the wider half-spaces. Thanks to his sharp awareness and clever reading of the game, this means he consistently offers colleagues a reliable option to support attacking moves.

 

Image 3 - Dewsbury-Hall goal

 

"I'm a box-to-box midfielder. I am somebody who likes to attack, drive at defenders and make things happen with goals and assists. I will also give 100 percent for the team defensively, and I am someone who overall can contribute in every aspect of the game," he stated during his time at Leicester City.

 

Moreover, the talented Englishman plays a crucial role in helping his team progress up the pitch too, for he identifies when to help form positional and numerical superiorities that allow for smoother build-ups from deeper zones.

 

Very effective at forging solid relationships with teammates and executing rotations, which is something he did excellently under both Brendan Rodgers and Enzo Maresca, he's duly carried these traits over, where his ability to drift into different locations adds unpredictability and variety to Everton's offensive sequences.

 

Possessing a wicked range of passing, Dewsbury-Hall can strike a host of deliveries to animate his team's passages, with his capacity to split lines, switch the play, play slick one-twos, deliver measured crosses and cutbacks and thread through balls in behind amplifying his impact.

 

Image 4 - Quality assist by Dewsbury-Hall

 

Image 5 - Superb through ball

 

Image 6 - Quality switch of the play

 

His ability to disguise passes with his eyes and body shape compounds issues for adversaries too.

 

Image 7 - Terrific through ball

 

Punishing markers on the dribble as well, the mobile, powerful and strong runner can glide beyond opponents with neat feints, shimmies, turns and by using his tight control to navigate difficult situations.

 

His quick thinking and crisp decision-making also ensures he stays composed under pressure, with him typically remaining calm to shield the ball while waiting for a suitable option.

 

A major asset defensively as well, there's been much to like about the energy, intensity and nous he brings to the table, for he responds to pressing triggers shrewdly, hunts down foes forcefully, is never afraid in the tackle and understands when to curve his harrying to block lanes behind him.

 

The fact he reacts rapidly when his team loses possession is another important string to his bow, for his assertive counterpressing to immediately regain the ball is usually at a high level to stop counters and generate high turnovers for his team.

 

Shining within Moyes' Everton and underlining what a class act he is, the all-action Dewsbury-Hall has been one of the signings of the summer so far.

 

Unquestionably an astute acquisition, and at the peak of his powers, seeing him slot in seamlessly has been a huge boost for the Toffees and him personally following his unsatisfactory spell at Chelsea.

 

Happy, in the right environment to shine and playing for a manager that's getting the best out of him, building on this terrific start to life at Everton is now the aim in his quest to demonstrate why he should be considered among the standout midfielders in the division.