Sadly, though, it’s clear the problems of a traumatic spell at Goodison have taken their toll on the winger’s game, van der Meyde’s frustration at times evident during the game.
With Everton fielding a relatively strong defence containing international triumvirate Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott and Nuno Valente, there was no prospect of the visitors being steamrollered by a virtually full-strength Sion side on Saturday.
Indeed, the only time goalkeeper Iain Turner was beaten was by a goal that would have graced a much grander stage, striker Didier Cretterand bursting into the area on 58 minutes and exchanging passes with Alvaro Dominguez before finishing clinically.
Lescott showed no obvious sign of suffering any side-effects following the course of injections in his knee after the end of last season, while Valente had previously seen only one minute of senior action since February. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sion were by far the sharper during the first hour and threatened on several occasions.
An excited Kali scuffed a clear opening wide, Alvaro Saborio dragged off target and, shortly after the break, Virgile Reset struck the top of Iain Turner’s bar with a shot that deflected off Irving and, from the resultant corner, Nigerian international Obina Nwaneri sent a free header into the ground and over the bar. Lukas Jutkiewicz, who scored in the opening pre-season game last year at Bury, struggled to make the same impact and the emergence at half-time of Kieran Agard posed more questions of the Sion defence.
Agard, an 18-year-old striker, demonstrated plenty of pace and willing but was betrayed by inexperience at times.
The youngster should have converted a near-post header from Valente’s cross, and a wiser head would have looked up and spotted the square pass to the unmarked John Paul Kissock after one lightning break through the Sion defence.
Despite having been put through a punishing schedule of three training sessions a day during their week in Switzerland, Everton actually finished the game the stronger, Eunan O’Kane busy on his late outing from the bench.
Neville struck a daisycutter that goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary almost made a meal of, but the search for an equaliser ultimately proved futile.
“It was a tough game for us,” said Steve Round, having enjoyed his first game since his appointment as assistant manager.
“They are a decent side and are a lot further down the track than us. It was a good workout and the youngsters will have taken a lot from this.”
Preparations for the new season will step up this week with more senior players returning from injury and extended leave.
But with Everton aiming to scale new heights both home and abroad during the forthcoming campaign, the hopefully busy schedule means this won’t be the last sight of some of those potential future stars.
FC SION (4-4-2): El-Hadary; Bühler (Nwaneri 72), Kali, Vanczak, Reset (Grosicki 72); Serey Die (Geiger 66), Dominguez (Beto 66), Ahoueya, Germanier (Brellier 46); Saborio (Adeshina 72), Crettenand (M’futi 72). Sub: Nwaneri.
EVERTON: Turner; Irving, Valente, Jagielka, Lescott; van der Meyde, Rodwell, Neville, Baxter (O’Kane 62); Kissock (Molyneux 72); Jutkiewicz (Agard 46). Subs: Ruddy, Sinnott. BOOKING: van der Meyde (dissent).
NEXT GAME: Cambridge United, Pre-season Friendly Saturday, 3pm
