Everton's forgotten man is ready for his 'light bulb' moment

The 20-year-old winger has started Carabao Cup games and shown glimpses of quality but remains on the bench in the Premier League under Moyes.

Tyler Dibling arrived at Everton in August 2025 for £40m as one of the club's most expensive signings, but has struggled to break into David Moyes's Premier League plans. The 20-year-old England U21 winger has made only three substitute appearances in the league this season, spending no more than 24 minutes on the pitch in any game, though he has started all of Everton's Carabao Cup matches and created the winner against Wolves.

Dibling was compared to Gareth Bale when he emerged at Southampton, but his transition to Everton has been slow. Sources suggest his initial struggles were partly due to arriving without a full pre-season after a protracted transfer, and adjusting to the higher demands of Moyes's coaching. However, he has since benefited from a full training camp and is said to have embraced the challenge, working hard on his robustness and defensive game.

Moyes has publicly challenged Dibling to step up, saying in May: "We want Tyler to step up, we really do. He's important to us." The arrival of Brennan Johnson and the manager's preference for other options have limited his opportunities, but observers believe Dibling's recent performances, including a goal-saving tackle against Wolves, suggest he is close to a breakthrough if given consistent chances.