LONG READ

MEANT TO BE

By Billy Minshall

DWIGHT MCNEIL featured as the main interview in the Official Matchday Programme for Saturday’s visit of Chelsea. The Everton winger detailed the complex difficulties he’s overcome following a failed move in the January transfer window, explaining why that sliding-doors moment has inspired him to rediscover his fine form to earn an Everton starting place…

It’s been a whirlwind start to 2026 for the Toffees winger.

Everton’s number seven took home the Club’s Player of the Match award last time out at Hill Dickinson Stadium – but just weeks earlier he was moments away from a Merseyside departure.

A heavily reported January deadline-day switch to Crystal Palace was close to being finalised for McNeil, who, after a frustrating campaign of injury setbacks and reduced minutes, was open to a new beginning to rediscover his best form.

But the transfer fell through in the final hour of the window, and an emotionally-drained McNeil – having already settled on a far-from-straight-forward final decision – returned to Finch Farm.

“It was difficult because it was going to be a big change for me, and it was just to go and play football,” he tells the Official Matchday Programme. “I was struggling for minutes here at the time. So, it was a difficult, difficult day. A lot went on.

“My partner, Meg, was with me all day, as well, so she went through it. Mentally, it was tough.”

“People only see one side on the media, you don’t see the tears, the emotion and the distress I’ve seen tonight,” she remarked. “To have prepared to move your entire life, our life, hundreds of miles away in the space of a few hours.

“For it to be torn away from you at the last second, with absolutely no explanation. Going from everything – to radio silence, no phone call, no communication and be left, broken-hearted with nothing but confusion, has hurt more than I can say.”

Rochdale-born McNeil has spent all of his 26 years in the north west of England, coming through the academy ranks at Manchester United and Burnley, before signing for Everton from the Clarets in 2022.

He’d been a regular for the Blues, often showing a combination of technical prowess, creativity and work rate, but the talented wideman was sidelined with a knee injury from December 2024 to April 2025.

The switch to Palace was an attempt to regain regular football, says McNeil, who continues: “We had to sign the extension forms until nine o’clock, and then, it all just fell through at the last minute.

“So, it was difficult because it went that far down the line, but it didn’t happen and it wasn’t meant to be.

“It would’ve been me leaving home because this is where I’ve lived all my life and Meg’s the same with her family. She’s really close to her family, so it would have been a big change for her.

“Meg has a big emphasis on ‘everything happens for a reason’. So that’s the way I’m looking at it.”

Having already said his goodbyes at Finch Farm, McNeil was faced with a new challenge of recapturing the best version of himself in more familiar surroundings – and the Everton squad made sure to support their teammate, as the always down-to-earth McNeil explains: “I’ve got to say – all of the lads have been a massive help.

“I’m really close with a few of them, in particular, and, obviously, they checked in on me as soon as it happened on the night, some of them rang me.

“I want to say a big thank you to all of them, to be honest, because they’ve been first-class and really helped me.

“I feel like I’m coming through it now and I’m just focused on finishing the season strongly.”

His bond with girlfriend Megan is no stranger to overcoming the most testing of times. As revealed by McNeil in a 2024 Official Matchday Programme interview, he made sure to be a constant pillar of support through countless hospital visits in late 2023 as Megan required treatment for a large tumour growing in her ovary.

“There’s no getting away from the fact it was a tough time,” said McNeil back then – and now, less than three and a half years on, he’s radiant with gratitude for the role Megan played through his recent distress.

“Her support was massive,” he says with a smile. “She was there all day, and she knows as well as I do what went on that day.

“So, for her to be there and understand what I was feeling in the moment was a massive help for me and I can’t thank her enough for what she’s given me throughout my career, but especially in that moment.”

Since then, in early February, McNeil has made a sharp bounce back, spending four games out of the team, before impressively regaining his starting place for consecutive victories over Newcastle United and former club Burnley.

He was excellent against the Clarets, deployed from the right flank and playing a crucial role in Everton’s second goal of the 2-0 win, he earned a standing ovation from the Hill Dickinson faithful after being substituted on 87 minutes.

“It was a lovely moment,” McNeil reflects. “Something that will stay with me.

“It was just nice to have that reception from the fans. I really appreciate it, and like I say, that will stay with me for a long time.

“I think it was my best performance this season. It’s been a different season for me. With everything that’s gone on off the pitch – obviously being injured last year and then trying to get my way back into it.

“But I think the game against Burnley, I was just myself and I really enjoyed it. It’s just nice to be playing again.”

He was either out of the squad or left on the bench for four of the five games prior, but behind the scenes, McNeil was working hard to reach his peak levels.

“I was confident in myself and my ability,” he explains. “So it was about getting stuck in and doing my best.

“For the next few weeks after it, I was trying to get my head around what happened. But then, we had a chat – me and Meg, my agent, and my family, about what can I do from now until the end of the season.

“I’ve loved playing for Everton, ever since I signed – from day one. I got my head down and I trained as hard as I could every day, just trying to get that confidence back, really.

“I knew I had nothing else to lose in that moment, so now I’m just focused and I’m just trying to play as well as I can.

“I’m here and I want to do well for the Club. This is where we are and we want to finish the season off strong and hopefully help the team get into Europe.”

Talk of Europe is a consistent theme among Everton fans on social media, as well as in Moyes’ pre-match press conferences.

It’s been a target since the beginning of the campaign, according to McNeil, who remembers: “It was [talked about among the squad] at the start of the season. The gaffer had a massive emphasis on it when looking at the fixtures as they came out.

“And like I say, the recent two wins – Newcastle and Burnley – were massive results for us, and that puts us in good stead. Looking up, we’ve got big games now until the end of the season, so we’re just taking it one game at a time.”

Approaching four years at the Club, he’s been around for a dramatic period in Everton’s history – points deductions, relegation battles, the opening of Hill Dickinson Stadium and the new ownership of the Club.

The squad itself has seen plenty of change in that time, too.

“I was struggling for minutes here at the time. So, it was a difficult, difficult day. A lot went on.
Dwight McNeil

This season’s focus for transfer acquisitions appeared to be in attacking areas, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Thierno Barry, Tyler Dibling and Charly Alcaraz all signing permanently for the Toffees last summer, while Jack Grealish joined on loan, and exciting Chelsea youngster Tyrique George also arrived in January – on a deal with an option to make the move permanent following the current campaign’s conclusion.

Asked if this current Everton squad is the strongest he’s been a part of, McNeil responds: “Definitely. I think with quality and talent-wise. The quality has gone up and that’s shown with where we are in the league this season.

“It was difficult in the past seasons for different reasons, with the stuff going on off the pitch around the Club.

“But now it’s starting to change. We’re in a new stadium and, like I say, new players have been coming in. That’s something I want to be a part of, to try and get the Club back to what we used to be.”

"WE'VE GOT BIG GAMES NOW UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON, SO WE'RE JUST TAKING IT ONE GAME AT A TIME."

Dwight McNeil

The return of Moyes as manager in January 2025 has been a key part of Everton’s upturn in form, guiding the Blues to 12 wins and seven draws across their 30 Premier League matches of 2025/26.

It’s a record which includes a stunning seven away victories – a total which only league-leading Arsenal can better (nine).

“The gaffer knows the Club inside out, especially after his first spell here,” says McNeil. “He was here for so long, and he was really successful with the Club, and that’s what he’s come back in to do.

“Ever since he’s entered the building, that has been his big emphasis on getting the Club back to where it was, but the job’s not done yet.

“We still know there’s a long way to go, but that’s the target – and everyone is giving everything to get it back there as soon as possible.”

The arrival of Moyes followed the departure of previous Blues boss, Sean Dyche – the coach who’d given McNeil his professional debut at Burnley.

That change in January of last year occurred at an awkward time for McNeil, who was still nursing his long-term knee injury.

“It was a bit difficult,” he explains. “Because when he left, I was injured, and then when the new gaffer came in, I wasn’t around the squad.

“So, it was difficult in that regard because I was trying to understand what he was like as a manager, but away from the team. That was probably the most challenging thing for me.”

Now a starter for Moyes’ side, McNeil is regularly used on the right wing, often looking to cut inside and shoot from his wonderfully-gifted left boot – nicknamed “the paintbrush” by teammates.

“It’s different because I think this is the first time in my career where I’ve mainly played off the right,” he acknowledges.

“With the old manager, I was off the left and then I played as the number 10, which was one I really enjoyed and maybe even where I played some of my best football before picking up the injury.

“But like I say, I’m happy to play anywhere in the front line. I just want to play.”

He’s had his fair share of ups and downs this term, and so for McNeil, his main goal is to keep pulling on the royal-blue shirt with a smile on his face.

“I think from now to the end of the season, when I get my opportunity, I just want to try to help the team as much as I can. I want to contribute as much as I possibly can.

“But also, I feel like I’m enjoying my football again. There’s a lot to play for and I want to keep enjoying it.”

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