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Roberto Martinez hails Everton's 'sensational' Tom Cleverley
February 7, 2016 at 12:00:00 AM GMT+1
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Roberto Martinez believes that there is no better technical English player than Tom Cleverley, as Everton’s manager challenged the former Manchester United player to score the 10 goals a season that can make him “one of the most sensational players in Premier League history”.

Everton could supply Roy Hodgson with the biggest club contingent of his Euro 2016 squad, with Ross Barkley, John Stones, Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines all in line to go to France. The re-emergence of Cleverley and Aaron Lennon provided the watching England manager with food for thought at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday while Gareth Barry, with 53 caps, remains a reliable anchorman.

Romelu Lukaku became the first Evertonian to score 20 goals in successive seasons since Graeme Sharp 30 years ago with a penalty earned by Cleverley’s third-man dash into the area. Then Cleverley whipped in the corner from which Seamus Coleman netted his first goal of the season and Lennon sealed the win by half-time.

Even if his manager’s gushing bordered on hyperbole, Martinez believes Cleverley’s increased resilience means he has never played better. “I think he can go even further,” the Spaniard, who loaned Cleverley for Wigan, five years ago, said.

“I think you do not have a better English player. Technically, he is as good as you get. The way he executes, how he reads the game, for me he is one of the most sensational you are going to see in Premier League history.

“I wouldn’t sell him for any money in the current market. I want to see him go from strength to strength because I know there is so much more to come.”

Mark Hughes, the Stoke manager, will not hesitate to throw Ryan Shawcross, recovering from a back injury, straight back into his ailing team at Bournemouth on Saturday. Stoke’s captain has been badly missed during a wretched month during which the flair players who inspired them during the autumn have run out of steam.

- Telegraph

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