Everton manager Frank Lampard has hailed midfielder Amadou Onana, insisting he can go ‘very far’ in the game.
Onana arrived at Everton in a €35m deal from Lille in the summer, with the Blues spending big to secure him ahead of West Ham.
He’s been an instant hit at Goodison Park, quickly establishing himself in a new look midfielder alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye and Alex Iwobi.
Rave reviews have been flowing in by the week, with the 21-year-old getting better as the games go by and improving under Lampard, one of the best midfielders to have played in the Premier League.
The Everton man is certainly a fan of his summer signing, revealing what really impresses him about the Belgian to RTBF.
“I’ve seen Amadou play a lot during our search for a new midfielder, whether it be in the 6 or 8 position,” he told them.
“And the first thing I saw from his games in Lille was his physicality. He’s a modern midfielder who has the ability to occupy the whole midfield in a flexible way with a lot of energy.
“I really liked his ability to handle the ball in the small spaces in midfield and the fact that he could then make the right pass or move forward with the ball. For me, these are the qualities of a modern midfielder.
“And then I also saw that he could play in a more remote position, which also matched his qualities. That impressed me. With his physique, he is also able to tackle well to recover and position himself well.
“I saw a lot of things in him even though he is a young midfielder. He had a bit of everything. He’s a profile we really wanted to help us.”
The hope is that Onana will remain at Everton for several years to come, continuing to develop under Lampard in the Premier League.
He’s already earning admiring glances from fans and pundits alike, with it very likely he will be a part of Roberto Martinez’s squad at the World Cup.
If he impresses in Qatar, it could put him in the viewfinder of bigger clubs in Europe, something Everton will be hoping isn’t the case.
Whether that happens remains to be seen but Lampard is convinced the player can go far regardless, if he continues his current upward trajectory.
“I think now, in the short and long term, Amadou will have to understand what I and the team want from him and work individually to improve,” he added.
“One of his greatest qualities is his personality and his will to always improve. We work together and I can already see him improving in his positioning for us.
“I think that in the future he will become a very versatile midfielder. For me he has everything to go very far. We are very happy to have him.”
