How Abdoulaye Doucoure went from Everton outcast to best player under Sean Dyche

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The progress Everton have made in just a few months has been completely unprecedented, but certainly welcomed by the fanbase.

It feels like at last the steadfast and loyal supporters are being treated for their loyalty, having stuck by their side despite enduring back-to-back relegation dogfights.

Having scraped survival during the 2021/22 season by just four points, the following campaign saw that margin reduced to just two.

However, this term is set to be wholly different, with Sean Dyche the architect behind their newfound success. Even a ten-point deduction cannot hold them down.

With nine wins in their last 13 matches across all competitions, such a rich vein of form has come at the perfect moment to offer some distance between themselves and the drop.

Much of that run is owed to many stunning personal performances too though, with Abdoulaye Doucoure certainly at the pinnacle of Everton stars transformed by Dyche.

How good has Abdoulaye Doucoure been for Everton under Sean Dyche?

To truly outline just how much the 30-year-old has grown, it is worth comparing his time under Frank Lampard to this current regime. After all, the change is stark, and showcases the main shortcomings of the Chelsea legend.

Speaking six months following his dismissal, the Mali international noted: ‘It was hard because it was the first time in my career that I didn’t play as much as I want, especially for reasons I don’t know.

‘I was one of the fittest players in the team and someone who always gave everything, so to not be able to help the team in bad moments when we were losing many games in a row was so hard. If the previous manager had stayed a few weeks more, I would have been gone.’

Such a lack of game time unsurprisingly saw his form dwindle, failing to score a single goal under Lampard.

Dyche had already made that decision look foolish in the last Premier League campaign, given how Doucoure scored five goals to fire them to safety.

Well, already he has surpassed that tally this campaign, with his six league goals a figure that has seen him outscore the likes of Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer.

It is a true rags-to-riches story for such a humble yet impressive footballer. With a new deal having been confirmed too, he will hope to remain the spearhead of Everton‘s resurgence.