Idrissa Gueye signs new deal as Everton continue to keep core intact | OneFootball

Idrissa Gana Gueye has signed a new one-year contract with Everton with the option of a further year that could take him up towards his 38th birthday.

The 35-year-old midfielder, who was voted Everton’s player of last season by both their supporters and his fellow players, follows captain Seamus Coleman and centre-backs Michael Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite in signing new deals.

It also means that, with Coleman and Keane, Everton have kept three of their out-of-contract players, even as Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin chose to move on and Ashley Young was released.

Gueye is in his second spell at Everton, separated by three seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, and Senegal’s most-capped player said his fondness for the club and determination to appear at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium formed part of his motivation for staying.

“Everyone knows what Everton means to me and my family,” he said. “After six seasons here, this club is more than just a place I play, it’s part of who I am.

“I’m proud to start my seventh year as a Blue. Last season was a strong one for me personally, and I feel ready, fresh, and more driven than ever to keep pushing.

“With our beautiful new stadium and a real sense of momentum throughout the club, this season feels like a turning point, the chance to build something big and lasting.

“We’ve got the foundations. Now it’s up to us: players, staff, the manager, the board, and most importantly, our fans, to come together so we can raise the bar again and take Everton back to where it belongs.”

Gueye won the most tackles in Europe’s top five leagues last season and manager David Moyes, who had been keen to keep him, feels he will be integral in his new-look side.

He said: “We are delighted Idrissa has re-signed. His experience and his knowledge of the club is going to be so important going forward with the introduction of lots of new players and the new stadium. Idrissa will play a big part in integrating everybody."