Wayne Rooney has admitted he was “really surprised” by Everton midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye upon his return to the club in 2017.
The former Evertonian was playing pundit on Sky Sports last night as the Toffees landed a historic 2-0 Merseyside Derby victory over Liverpool at Goodison Park.
It was an evening to remember as goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jarrad Branthwaite saw Sean Dyche’s men pull out their best performance of the season.
Unsurprisingly, the hosts have had their fair share of plaudits after the game. Gary Neville was in awe of Calvert-Lewin’s performance. The Englishman bullied Virgil van Dijk throughout and the Dutchman will be waking up this morning knowing he was in a game.
Wayne Rooney shares what shocked him about Idrissa Gana Gueye
Before the match, Rooney was quizzed on some of the names he played alongside upon his return to the club in 2017.
The Manchester United legend spent one season at Goodison Park before moving to MLS side D.C United, whom he would later manage.
The 38-year-old admitted he was surprised by just how impressive Gana Gueye was in training, with his passing ability catching the eye.
He told Sky Sports: “I think he started slowly when he rejoined the club, but I remember when I came back to Everton, and I trained with him for a couple of weeks, and I was really surprised with his ability and how good he was.
“What surprised me was the passes into the forward men were clean, and I think him being fit, he went on to PSG and did okay, and coming back, we are starting to see the player and impact he can have.
“He is an experienced player now, and Everton will need him over the course of the next few weeks.”
Idrissa Gana Gueye rolls back the years with a tireless performance against Liverpool
Gana Gueye certainly didn’t look 34 last night. His performance was full of energy and aggression, something Liverpool’s midfielders didn’t like.
Alongside James Garner, the Senegalese star provided excellent protection in front of the back four. His 75-minute cameo deserves plenty of plaudits.
It will be interesting to see if Dyche shuffles the pack for the weekend clash against Brentford. A lot of energy was expended last night, which could mean changes are required.
Amadou Onana coming back into the starting XI in place of Gana Gueye or Garner could well be a route to go down.
