Steven Pienaar relishing new role at Everton

Steven Pienaar is relishing his new ambassador role at English Premier League side Everton and has received praise from one of the club’s current stalwarts‚ Leighton Baines.

The England international left-back spent many seasons playing with Pienaar in front of him on the left-wing‚ a combination that was described at the time as the best partnership in Europe as they terrorised defences with their combination play.

Baines has since described Pienaar as the best player he has played with as he approaches 400 games for the Merseyside club.

“I feel very fortunate to have been at the football club at the same time as Steven because he was such an outstanding player‚” Baines told Everton TV.

“A lot of what we did was just instinctive and because of the type of players we both were.

"Our profiles suited each other.

“We were both combination players‚ we needed each other.

"We didn’t want to do it alone. We would just use each other to combine and get us up the pitch and he was always quite happy to let me do the end part.

“That time worked out perfect‚ he is a player that I think the fans will always love and look back fondly on.”

Pienaar describes the partnership as like being in a loving relationship!

“The chemistry was natural‚ we are both hard-working players and we wanted to leave everything out there‚" he said.

"It’s like when you get a new girlfriend‚ at first the romance was just there on the field and I enjoyed playing with him.”

Pienaar will be spending time in South Africa trying to drum up new supporters for Everton on the African continent‚ which they see as a key market.

“In South Africa the Premier League is so massive. For me it will be great to go out there and try and bring more supporters to the club‚” Pienaar said.

“It’s good for me and for the club‚ a lot of people already follow Everton.

"It will be good to go back to South Africa and mobilise them a bit‚ to teach them a little bit more about the history of the club.”

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