What Everton fans sang after just 15 minutes shows £35m Donny van de Beek truth

It took less than 15 minutes.

"Donny van de Beek," came the chant from the Gwladys Street.

The midfielder will have felt a million dollars. Or, maybe, every inch of the £35m Manchester United paid for him only 18 months previous.

This was the performance of a proper Everton midfielder.

Van de Beek popped up in the Leeds United penalty area inside the opening 10 minutes and flashed an intelligent pass across goal.

Moments later and Seamus Coleman headed home.

Despite the money spent on regenerating the midfield over the last two summers - Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin all arriving for £20m or more - it still remains an area of concern for Everton and Frank Lampard.

Doucoure is entering his peak years at 29 but with Allan 31 and Fabian Delph out of contract in the summer, the engine room is in need of revitalisation.

And if 90 minutes at Goodison Park are anything to go by, Everton might have found their man.

Van de Beek was economical and relentless. As one senior Everton figure remarked at half-time: "He does not waste anything!"

Perhaps on this evidence it is Manchester United who have been wasting a real talent.

But that does not matter now. It is all to gain for Everton.

Frank Lampard will not be carried away by one game but it was difficult not to fall for the quiet, calm and unassuming quality of Van de Beek, who carried out his duties without fuss.

After 45 minutes, the 24-year-old had the best pass accuracy of any Everton player, more passes the joint-most tackles alongside Alex Iwobi.

After 90, Everton had a new fan-favourite.

Everton have endured a largely miserable transfer record over the past five years but Van De Beek could be filed under 'masterstroke' come the end of the