Who is Dwight McNeil? The Burnley star wanted by Man Utd, Leicester and Wolves

Nicholas Hughes

• Updated: 19 May 2021 14:39 BST
• 5 min read

Dwight McNeil sent the ball crashing into Jordan Pickford’s Goodison Park net last week, and as that ball soared into the goal so too did his transfer stocks.

The 21-year-old has gone from strength to strength since making his Premier League debut three years ago, starting all 38 games last season.

McNeil has developed into a key player for Burnley and a permanent fixture in the England youth set-up, receiving a call up for the upcoming Under-21 European Championships group stages.

There are likely to be a host of Premier League clubs circling at Turf Moor with the hope of prising McNeil away from the club he has been at since the age of 14.

What position does Dwight McNeil play in?

McNeil is a left winger, and a very traditional one at that. With a naturally gifted left-boot, McNeil’s strength is getting to the byline and delivering into the box rather than inverting like many modern wingers tend to do.

It is this endeavour and quality from the wing, as well as his set-piece delivery, that makes him such a threat for the Clarets, with his six assists last season improving on the five he achieved the season before.

His ability to stream down the left touchline is aided by his height and athleticism. McNeil stands at just over six feet tall, impressive length for a winger, and he uses his pace and strength to good effect on the wing.

How good is Dwight McNeil?

As a 14-year-old, McNeil was dropped by Manchester United’s academy but the fact that the club are interested in bringing him back should indicate his ability.

He averages 6.4 crosses per 90 minutes, the 10^th most of any player in the league to have played at least 1,000 minutes.

That aforementioned athleticism helps him to complete 1.9 dribbles P90 while still being effective defensively with 5.7 recoveries and 4.6 duels won P90.

McNeil so far has two goals and three assists this season with four big chances created, though he isn’t frequently involved in and around the box with just 0.9 touches in the attacking box and 0.7 shots P90.

His manager Sean Dyche recently spoke of the 21-year-old’s talents and tipped him for big things later in his career.

“I believe one day he will go on to bigger and better than Burnley, maybe one of the superpower clubs and they will marvel at the work he does for the team as well as what he can do with the ball,” he said.

McNeil has also received glowing praise from former Clarets teammate Kieran Trippier in the past.

“He’s a big player for Burnley”Kieran Trippier

What clubs are interested in Dwight McNeil?

Much like they did with Paul Pogba, Manchester United are said to be keen on bringing their former academy player back to the club.

United’s interest was first reported in the Daily Mail back in 2019, and the Red Devils are believed to have remained interested until now.

The Leicester Mercury in August attributed interest in the player to Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes, who continue to chase Champions League football for next season.

Wolves are also believed to be keeping tabs on McNeil, while there have been rumours of interest from Italian giants Juventus and Milan.

When does Dwight McNeil’s contract expire?

Ahead of the new season, McNeil penned a 12-month extension to his existing Burnley contract.

That means his deal at Turf Moor runs until 2024, with an option for an extra years’ extension after that.

There is no release clause in McNeil’s contract so, with plenty of time left on his deal, there is no need for the club to sell for anything at or below valuation any time soon.

Dyche has also said that the club are in a sound financial position and no longer need to sell players from a money-making point of view.

What is Dwight McNeil’s Instagram?

McNeil has 20.2k followers on Instagram as of March 2021.

Who is Dwight McNeil’s girlfriend?

Dwight McNeil is not currently involved in a public relationship.