London, Jul 28, 2022, IANS

London, July 28 (IANS) Everton on Thursday signed Dwight McNeil from Burnley on a five-year contract, which will keep the forward with the club until the end of June 2027.

England Under-21 international McNeil has moved to Merseyside after four years as a professional at Turf Moor, during which time he made more than 140 appearances and missed just two Premier League matches since December 2018.

Capable of playing on either wing, he finished second for most successful dribbles in the English top-flight last season with 90 and was third for the highest number of crosses (199), having been fourth and fifth respectively in the previous two campaigns.

"It is an amazing feeling to sign. When I heard about Everton's interest I wanted to get it done straight away because of the Club and how good the team is," McNeil told evertontv.

"Speaking to the manager about what they want going forward, it really excited me and appealed to me. I wanted to be part of it. He knows me as a player, as does (Director of Football) Kevin Thelwell. I want to work hard and do well for the team and for the fans.

"I feel playing under a manager like Frank Lampard, he will help me to get my stats up � and that is what I want to do and improve my game. I am a direct runner with the ball. I like to get on the ball, cut inside and create chances for the team. I want to help the team as best as I can, work hard and do the defensive side of the game, too," he added.

The 22-year-old becomes the Blues' third signing of the summer, following the arrival of his former Clarets teammate James Tarkowski and the loan capture of Portuguese defender R�ben Vinagre.

"We are delighted to secure the signing of Dwight on a five-year contract. Despite being only 22, he has plenty of Premier League experience and the statistics prove we have brought in one of the best young talents in English football,'' said Kevin Thelwell, Everton Director of Football.

"We are confident that, working with Frank and his coaching staff, Dwight can become even better and enjoy a long, successful career with Everton," he added.

Born in Rochdale, McNeil joined Burnley's academy at the age of 14 and made his senior debut before his 19th birthday in a Premier League clash against AFC Bournemouth. He earned his England Under-21s bow in October 2019 against Slovenia and has gone on to feature for the young Lions with his new Blues teammates Ben Godfrey and Tom Davies.

"I have been a big admirer of Dwight for some time. He has huge talent and is exactly the type of player we want to bring into the squad to help us improve," said Manager Lampard.