Rio Ferdinand shares Everton players' first impressions of Man United loanee Donny van de Beek

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed that those inside the Everton camp have been hugely impressed by the level of quality that Donny van de Beek has added to the squad.

The United midfielder, who joined the Reds from Ajax back in September 2020, joined Everton on loan for the remainder of the season on the final day of the January transfer window, in a bid to secure some much-needed first-team football.

Van de Beek had fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and was desperate to secure a temporary move away from the club. Several clubs expressed an interest in his services but it was Everton that won the race for his signature.

Although he has so far only made two appearances for the Toffees, the second of which saw him earn his first start for the club against Leeds United on Saturday, he has already had a big impact on the squad.

That is according to Ferdinand who has been in discussion with sources within the Everton inner circle, who have issued but nothing praise for the Netherlands international.

Ferdinand told Vibe with Five: "I've been speaking to a few people at the club and they've said that he's gone in there and lifted the levels, training-wise.

"[He's a] great lad, first and foremost, but you can see. A lot of them are going, 'Wow, he's this good, they must be unbelievable at Manchester United if he can't get in'."

Since joining United more than 16 months ago, Van de Beek has been restricted to just 50 appearances in all competitions, making it easy to understand why he was so keen to secure a temporary exit.

After making his home debut for his new employers on Saturday, the United loanee told the club's TV channel: "I am really happy to play 90 minutes, but in the last 20