Demarai Gray was disciplined, tireless and relentless. In closing down the Pumas backline, he was working hard for the team.
The winger scored from the penalty spot against Millionarios and was tricky out wide as Everton completed the Florida Cup as winners.
Of course, it is ‘only pre-season’ but Gray’s arrival can already be deemed somewhat of a summer success. It was a success before he even put on the royal blue shirt in many ways.
No, he likely won’t turn into Neymar to net 25 goals and, well, he might not even be an automatic starter. However, right now, he is exactly what Everton need.
Plain and simple, he is a cheap but very key signing. The Blues badly needed a pacy, tricky winger that would not break the bank and that is what they got. And let’s be honest, he could prove to be a player, he certainly has the skillset to shine.
His arrival shows the Toffees were able to identify an area which needed serious attention and fixed it; that’s something the club has sometimes been slow to do in the past and the hope is the club land a right-back soon in the same way they hastily added wingers to the squad.
Gray possesses the capabilities the team have been lacking out wide for a long time and gives the starting XI a fresh look, and a direct, attacking impetus.
The move too proves Everton can be shrewd and proves Everton can be savvy.
Fully aware Gray had a €2m buyout clause at Bayer Leverkusen, director of football Marcel Brands and the club wasted no time in landing the player for a similar fee the Toffees paid to land Tim Cahill seventeen years ago.
If Everton can get a quarter of the return they got from Cahill, Gray will indeed be a very solid signing. If they don’t, it was a safe move that didn’t work out and all parties move on.
Obviously, in the Premier League era, you often need a splattering of mega signings, those north of thirty and forty million pounds, to win on a consistent basis.
Saying that, bargains can work out brilliantly too if they fit your system and plan. Based on the first glimpses we’ve had of Gray, he should play an important role in the coming season.
After all, Gray is never a £1.5m footballer. Everton have managed to get him for such a fee due to circumstance and circumstance only.
Turning 25 last month, Gray has played more than 130 games in the Premier League and also boasts a title winner’s medal after glory with Leicester six months after moving to the King Power Stadium from first club Birmingham City.
The short but useful stint in Germany will have helped Gray draw more knowledge of the game and whether playing from kick-off or coming off the bench, he gives Everton something a bit different.
Gray himself told the ECHO in an exclusive interview this week, "I'm comfortable on the ball, comfortable running with the ball and receiving the ball," and he enjoys having licence to roam and find pockets of space up the field.
That positive movement, just Gray's mere positioning on the pitch, will help improve the functionality of a team that was too narrow up the pitch last season and lacked any real creativity and energy for large spells, particularly during the second half of the campaign.
Should James Rodriguez remain, the moment he gets the ball and looks up, opposition defenders will not only have to think about Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s aerial ability and Richarlison’s ingenuity and endeavour but now Gray’s sprint will be another problem to contend with.
Sure, he is not a huge star and he didn’t cost eight figures. He rarely comes top for goals or assists either. What he is though is another option, a player who boasts different attributes to what Everton had before. Available for a seriously modest price, his signing was essential.
It is hoped he will shine on the pitch but already, his arrival has already been a plus.
Everton acted swiftly and smartly. It was a recruitment win.
The Blues have been clever and the move could pay off.
Demarai Gray may not have been the name fans automatically wanted but he is what Everton needed.
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