Three wins on the bounce and an undefeated May capped off a season that has Everton in a healthy position heading into what is to be a crucial summer transfer window and first season in the new stadium. This month saw plenty of standout performers, and several toffees were nominated for the Toffee Blues Player of the Month for the month of May.
5TH Place- Michael Keane – 1 Vote
Due to injuries to Branthwaite and Tarkowski near the end of the season, Michael Keane was reintroduced to the starting eleven for the match against Fulham. He scored a goal and defended well in a 1-3 win at Craven Cottage. In the last game of the season, he was put into the starting eleven against a Newcastle side fighting for a Champions League spot. His performance was particularly impressive amidst a host of strong defensive performances, helping propel Everton to a 0-1 victory.
Keane’s contract has now expired and there has been no definitive answer on whether the long-tenured Everton defender will continue his spell on Merseyside. Although a polarizing figure, he has produced great moments for the club (the goal against Tottenham comes to mind), and he has had to help prop up some rather miserable backlines in a tumultuous spell for the club. If this is the end, we remember the good moments.
4TH Place – Beto – 3 Votes
With 2 goals in the month of May, starting all 4 matches, Beto finds himself fourth in the running earning himself 3 votes. Goals against Ipswich and Fulham propelled him to 8 league goals for the campaign, and constantly improving hold up play up top saw him play a pivotal role in the wins against Newcastle and Southampton.
He is a polarizing figure, but an undeniably hard-worker who has improved his all-around game to be someone who could be capable of leading the line for the toffees next season. 10 goals in all competitions is nothing to scoff at in a side that was anemic for the first half of the campaign. His love for the club is evident and he is quickly becoming something of a cult hero to the supporters. While his role for next season is still up in the air, his purple patch when Moyes first came in is a huge part of Everton’s relegation fears dissipating, and his play this month was superb. A well deserved spot in the May nominees.
3RD Place – Carlos Alcaraz – 4 Votes
The dynamic 22 year-old Argentinian finds himself on the player of the month nominees once again, securing 4 votes and third place for the month of May. His goal against Newcastle proved decisive on the final day of the season, and he picked up two assists in the month of May, one against Ipswich and one against Fulham.
Supporters will be ecstatic that he looks to be returning to Merseyside next year, as his addition in the January transfer window provided a huge spark to the attacking force for Everton. Young, dynamic, a goal-scoring and assisting threat, and someone who can drive the side forward has been sorely needed in the midfield. He is coming in at a bargain price for Everton, and hopefully, with more continuity next season, becomes one of Everton’s first names on the team sheet week in and week out.
2ND Place – Jordan Pickford – 6 Votes
It wouldn’t quite be a player of the month list without Jordan Pickford, who continues to defy critics and perform at a level rivaled by only Europe’s best goalkeepers. Two clean sheets in the month of May, capped off by a world class 9.3 rating against Newcastle where he made 6 saves and prevented an astonishing 2.16 expected goals. We are sure he enjoyed that one.
He continues to be arguably the most important player at the club, and with 12 clean sheets this season, only one off the golden glove, Pickford showed once again that when stakes are high Everton have a man they can rely on. Some truly outstanding performances earn Pickford a well deserved spot in the player of the month rankings, and you can bet you will see him around these next year as well.
1ST Place – Iliman Ndiaye – 7 Votes
Another mainstay on the player of the month rankings, Iliman Ndiaye, a man now cemented in folklore following the toffees 2-0 win against Southampton. The last ever game at Goodison Park was a chance for Ndiaye to show his skills off, scoring two beautiful goals and etching his name forever into the history books at the club.
A bargain signing from Marseille, Ndiaye has looked like Everton’s best attacker for the vast majority of games he has been on the pitch. 11 goals in all competitions this season is a healthy return, and a massive improvement of his 4 goal return at Marseille last season. He will continue to be crucial for the toffees moving forward, as him and McNeil look to form a dynamic wing duo that can propel the Everton attack into the new campaign. Iliman Ndiaye is your Toffee Blues Player of the Month for the month of May.
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