Yakubu backs Maitland-Niles to bring calming presence to Everton

Yakubu Ayegbeni has backed Ainsley Maitland-Niles to be a smart signing for Everton after a goalscoring debut against Manchester United.

Maitland-Niles announced his arrival as an Everton player with a glorious 96th-minute equaliser against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday. 

The 29-year-old had only arrived from Lyon for a fee of around £4.2m on deadline day, but made an immediate impact on debut.

Speaking exclusively to ToffeeWeb as part of our Once a Blue series, Yakubu said Maitland-Niles will have benefitted from his experience of European football in Italy and France.

He told the Everton fans not to be confused by the new arrival’s laidback body language, and said Maitland-Niles can offer a calming presence to David Moyes’ side.

“When you look at where he’s been playing, he’s been through many experiences. He's been with Arsenal, then he went to France and came back. He's been around so many clubs to gain experience, after more than five or six years in the Premier League before he left.

"You see the way he plays, he is calm. Sometimes when you're watching him play, you think he's not serious because of his body language but he's a really, really focused guy. 

“For me, to get him in on the last day, on deadline day, was a special call. We need a right-back. We've been crying for a right back for the past two or three years. To get him and to bring him to the team, with his experience as well, I think is good.”

Yakubu praises Everton fight after dramatic Manchester United draw

Yakubu also reflected on Maitland-Niles’ moment and Everton’s unbeaten start to the season. He said Everton should be pleased with a point against a talented United side, given the circumstances of the late equaliser.

“Yeah, it was a special goal. When you look at the way he hits the ball, you see it directly. You can see the fans there, they're celebrating already. Before it even hit the net, everyone's like, ‘yes, we got it!’.

“When you look at the team, I think they were fighting a lot. They gave everything. We played as a team, they fought as a team. And we got lucky.

“It’s not a bad draw, playing against this United team. I think when you look at the quality United have with Bruno Fernandes, Cunha, Mainoo, they have so many quality players in the team. For me, to get a draw was special.

“And the goal, I swear, was really, really special. You look at the way he hit the ball, it’s 96 minutes and it means a lot. It's like a win for us.”

Read more - Everton’s transfer window might have accidentally given David Moyes the push he needs

 

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