Hutchison Tips 'Different Class' Gylfi For Key Everton Role

Don Hutchison says “different class” Gylfi Sigurdsson would be one of the first names on his Everton teamsheet as he spoke of the playmaker's importance to the Blues.

Club-record signing Sigurdsson repeatedly tied Southampton up in knots on Saturday, the Icelander employing his fast feet and similarly quick mind to prompt a string of attacks.

He delivered six key passes and could conceivably have ended the afternoon with a collection of assists to add to his haul of man-of-the-match prizes.

Sigurdsson’s feint and measured ball set up Theo Walcott for a chance the winger fired narrowly wide, while Michael Keane twice had headers saved by goalkeeper Alex McCarthy after meeting Sigurdsson free-kicks.

He worked like stink, too. The player who covered most ground in the 2016-17 Premier League campaign – 433km – clocked up 11.1km, completed three interceptions and made two tackles.

“If you are picking a team and want creativity, you would always have Gylfi Sigurdsson in your team,” former Blues midfielder Hutchison told evertonfc.com.

“He is different class. His ability from dead balls and capacity to pick a pass are superb.

"First and foremost, you must have the technical ability to handle the ball and hit the pass. But you also need the vision to see it.

“I look at Gylfi Sigurdsson and think his vision, the way he can spot a pass, is fantastic. He has the minutes under his belt on the pitch and thousands of man hours on the training ground and he knows his own game inside out.”

Sigurdsson is steadily forging an intuitive understanding with striker Cenk Tosun. The pair have started only six matches together – and were separated in the first half at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week when Sigurdsson was replaced by Mason Holgate following Phil Jagielka’s red card.

Arguably the pick of Sigurdsson’s passes against Southampton came when he split a narrow gap between two defenders to find Tosun sprinting down the left. Walcott converted the resulting cross only for a linesman’s flag to indicate Tosun had strayed marginally offside.

Hutchison scored 11 goals in 89 Everton appearances after joining from Sheffield United in February 1998.

The zenith of his Blues career coincided with the twin factors of experienced Kevin Campbell signing from Trabzonspor and the emergence of Francis Jeffers, two forwards whose intelligent movement was ideal for the ball-playing Hutchison.

And he expects Sigurdsson, who was fouled five times against Southampton – twice more than any of his teammates – to be in his element operating behind the shrewd Tosun.

Moreover, Hutchison insists the 28-year-old will continue to improve as Everton’s team takes shape in the early part of the campaign.

A knee problem prematurely curtailed Sigurdsson’s first season with the Blues but after recovering in time to excel for Iceland at the summer’s World Cup, he returned to USM Finch Farm in peak condition last month.

“Players like Gylfi, with that instinctive awareness, know what is happening in a game all the time, they appreciate when their centre-forward is going to make his runs,” said Hutchison.

“That is why I enjoyed playing with Franny Jeffers and Kevin Campbell so much – I knew their runs and when they would make them.

“Gylfi is still learning about Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the other boys around him, but once he gets used to playing with those guys in midfield and, more importantly, the ones in front of him, he can pick a pass for fun.

“Everton paid the money for him because they know he is a player. He can handle the ball and play on the big stage. The price doesn’t matter because Everton believed he was worth it.

“It is similar with Jordan Pickford, those top players cost money. But in the long run, if they are at the Club for a number of years – Jordan Pickford could be there 10 years – then the transfer fees look like exceptional value.”