Van der Meyde is instant Blues hit

Everton fans have not had much to cheer about this term after a dismal start to the campaign but they have already taken Dutch winger Andy van der Meyde to their hearts.

Losing to a goal from another Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup, the Goodison Park fans reserved the biggest cheer of the night for Van der Meyde’s belated introduction to the side as a 61st-minute substitute.

Moyes was just happy to see his £1.5m (€2.2m) import from Inter Milan on transfer deadline day finally make it onto the pitch and the 26-year-old admits he was overwhelmed by the welcome.

He said: “It is very good for me that the fans trust me already. For me as a player it’s very important that the people are behind the players. I am very happy that they have taken me in like this.”

It took Van der Meyde two medicals to finally get clearance to move to Merseyside, and since then he has spent two months recovering from a groin injury.

His arrival has been too late to help avoid Everton’s European disaster, but Moyes sees quality just waiting to be exploited.

He said: “Andy did well when he came on, he gave us the sort of quality we are seeing regularly from him in training. But we know we have to build up his fitness and we want him to improve.

“He has only had 60 minutes in the reserves and 30 minutes in the Boro game, so there is a lot of work to do for him. But this short spell will help him get into things. His crosses were excellent and hopefully he will help us in the future.”

Everton may be out of Europe – twice – and now the Carling Cup before October is completed, but Moyes was at least relieved to see his new man in a blue shirt at last as the relegation battle hots up.

Moyes added: “Andy needs match fitness because he has been out for a while. But what everyone saw in just a few minutes was what we are seeing every day in training.

“He will help create opportunities and make chances, but he needs more training and a few more matches yet to get him to his best.”

The Arnhem-born star is already hoping to be involved at Birmingham on Saturday.

“I feel good, although it was also difficult to come on because the game is so fast. But after two or three minutes my legs felt good.

“If you start a game it is easier than coming on after an hour, but I do not know if I am ready for that yet. I don’t want to push it too hard. I don’t want to be injured again.

“My groin is the problem and you have to be careful with it. I am just happy to have played 30 minutes and I hope on Saturday maybe I can play the second half, but it’s up to the gaffer. If he wants me to play from the first minute I will do it no problem.”

Everton fans were more than impressed with the string of quality crosses that Van der Meyde sent into the box in a final barrage to salvage the tie.

He said: “I have been around a few years already in the highest leagues so I have experience and I am a player who wants to make crosses and do things and I think people like those things here.

“They expect that from me and I like making crosses so it is good when you have strikers like James Beattie, Duncan Ferguson and Marcus Bent to provide for.”