'Drenthe Is Our Spark'

Goalkeeper Tim Howard praises 'lively' Dutchman.

Tim Howard believes midfielder Royston Drenthe adds an extra dimension to Everton's attack.

Drenthe is on a season-long loan from Real Madrid and has shown flashes of brilliance, contributing nine assists and three goals.

His latest strike came after just 49 seconds of the FA Cup fifth round victory against Blackpool last weekend, prompting a grateful Howard to hail the Dutchman's explosive energy.

“Royston has been a spark for us," said Howard. "Often he’s been coming on late, but when he started against Fulham [in October] he got us the goal, and he got us the goal against Blackpool.

“He’s lively and the amount of fouls he draws is incredible - he makes defenders miss.

"He’s always, always attacking."

Drenthe's dangerous pace and ability on the ball are obvious weapons in his armoury but Howard says it’s a touch of unpredictability that makes him such an awkward customer. 

“It’s a mixed bag from him," he said. "But if he does pick the ball up on the wing and faces you up, nine times out of 10 he’s going to beat you, or you’ll bring him down.

“That’s a big plus for us to take the sting out of the game, and get us up the park.

“He just needs to play his football. He’s got a different attitude than most, but we’ve often relied on him to give us something different.

“We’re not really a flashy team by any stretch of the imagination but he’s got that guile and craftiness to him that can set us apart in certain ways. We need that.”