'He comes to me': 34-year-old Everton player claims Sean Dyche has been asking for his advice this season

Everton, at this moment in time, should be in a strong enough position to avoid the drop.

They boast experience in relegation battles, having snuck free of the last two unscathed, and also have far more quality in their squad compared to their rivals.

Not only that, but Sean Dyche simply knows how to grind out results when it really matters, and that alone could prove pivotal.

And yet, perhaps his greatest strength comes from his ability to take on the advice of others, realising that he alone is not the greatest tactician, free from any potential criticism.

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Instead, he opens up the floor and seeks outside advice, having already explained in length how Dele Alli could boast a future in management following some tactical discussions the two have shared.

However, it is another player who has now revealed that Dyche regularly asks him for advice.

Sean Dyche consults 34-year-old for advice

Speaking to Everton’s official website, in an interview first released in last Saturday’s match day programme, Idrissa Gana Gueye offered a brief insight into his relationship with the Everton manager.

Having returned to Goodison Park just three years after leaving for a cut-price fee, the 34-year-old has offered energy and experience at a time when they were perhaps lacking both in the engine room.

Now seemingly content with a role in the background, his importance still cannot be ignored.

This is evident in his latest comments: ‘We have a good relationship between the players and the gaffer. Sometimes he comes to me and will ask my opinion on certain things, to get my ideas on certain things and I know that if I ever have something to say to him then his door is always open for me – and all of the players.

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‘It’s a good, honest relationship – if something needs to be said then it can be said.

‘Ultimately, everyone is doing everything for the good of the Club and everyone is aware of that.’

Idrissa Gana Gueye has his uses on and off the pitch

Although he has rarely been called into action this season, especially in a starting capacity, Gueye remains one of the key figures in the dressing room.

His friendship with the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Arnaut Danjuma likely helps tie the team together, and when called upon he seldom lets the team down.

This is evidenced in his Premier League performances, in which he is maintaining an 85% pass accuracy and 6.6 ball recoveries per game, lending to his 6.92 average rating, via Sofascore.

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The veteran midfielder is seldom relied upon as a nailed-on starter, but is always professional when he is enlisted by Dyche.

It is likely that unflinching attitude which encourages the 52-year-old to seek wisdom from the former Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa ace.