Everton sign Burnley winger McNeil on five-year deal

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Everton signed Burnley winger Dwight McNeil on Thursday in a deal worth £20m ($24m).

McNeil signed a five-year deal with Everton as he made a swift return to the Premier League after Burnley were relegated last season.

The 22-year-old has scored seven goals in 137 Premier League appearances for the Clarets.

McNeil, who started his career at Manchester United before joining Burnley's academy, is eager to work for Everton manager Frank Lampard.

“It feels amazing to sign. When I heard about the interest from Everton, I wanted to do it straight away because of the club and the quality of the squad,” said McNeil.

"I think playing under a manager like Frank Lampard, he will help me improve my stats. That's what I want to do and improve my game.

"Talking to the manager about what he wants for the future, I was really excited and excited about it. I wanted to be a part of it."

Lampard has been keen to revamp Everton's squad after saving them from relegation after arriving to replace Rafael Benitez in the second half of the season.

McNeil becomes Everton's third signing at the end of the season, joining former Burnley team-mate James Tarkowski and Ruben Vinagre, who is on a season-long loan from Sporting Lisbon.

"I've been a big fan of Dwight for some time. He's got huge talent and he's exactly the type of player we want to bring into the team to help us improve," Lampard said.

AFP

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