Everton wasted the "outstanding" abilities of Davy Klaassen by asking him to play a role he was utterly unsuited for, says Dutch legend Ruud Gullit.
Klaassen scored his fifth goal for the Holland national team in his 20th appearance in Turkey this week.
But his 12 month spell at Goodison proved a major flop.
Klaassen failed to score in 16 appearances, never looked comfortable amid the physicality of the Premier League and just 12 months after signing from Ajax for £23.6m was sold to Werder Bremen with his value having depreciated to just £12million.
Now back at Ajax, Klaassen is showing the form once again which persuaded Ronald Koeman to bring him to England in 2017.
And Gullit is convinced Everton didn't get the best out of the playmaker.
"He's a 10. He's a midfielder who goes all the time in the box. Ajax always played with plenty of people around the box so it was easy for him," he explained.
"There are numerous players from Ajax who went abroad then all of a sudden are in an environment which doesn't play like that.
"That is the worst part of it.
"Klaassen went to Everton and found that problem. He came from Ajax, goes to Everton, who don't play like that. All of a sudden he's lost, he doesn't know what to do, where to come, because he's not good at the ball and doesn't do all kinds of tricks, he doesn't have that.
"He's the one who goes up front and goes for the ball.
"The best in England at doing that was Lampard. Okay he was reasonably good on the ball, but he was very sneaky getting in there.
"At Manchester United Donny van de Beek always wants to be there.
"But we have already said it in Holland, it could be the same outcome as Klaassen. the same.
"Klaasen then went to Germany, played a different role and played well. Now he's back to Amsterdam and played the same role as he did before and he's an outstanding player in the national team again and everyone says Ooof!"
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