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Dwight McNeil’s girlfriend posts scathing Crystal Palace verdict after failed Deadline Day move
Martin Macdonald
- 3 Feb 2026 05:30 CST
- 6 min read
Nieuws
The partner of Dwight McNeil has posted scathing criticism of Crystal Palace after the Eagles pulled out of a deal to sign the winger at the last minute on Deadline Day.
Palace were one of the busiest Premier League sides on the last day of the transfer window as they had to juggle Jean-Philippe Mateta's proposed move to Milan as well as their own pursuit of his replacement with Jorgen Strand Larsen.
In the end, Mateta didn't need replacing as his move to Milan fell through allegedly due to a problem with his knee.
Palace signed Larsen anyway for a club record €56 million, which didn't leave too much cash left for other deals.
That's why McNeil's €23m switch didn't happen. The problem was, they allegedly just let the transfer window close without informing Everton or the player himself that they had pulled out of the deal.
McNeil's partner Megan Sharpley accused Palace of messing with his mental health after going through all the motions of the deal only to pull the plug.
Here's what she posted in full:
"Dwight, I've always been in awe of your job, the way you've committed most of your life to achieve what only the 0.1% achieve. I know you love your job, the sport and you know how lucky you are to do what most people only dreams of.
"We appreciate our lives, how fortune we are, and the millions of football fans that keep the game alive and ultimately keep you in a job you adore.
"You've sacrificed a lot and most people don't have much of an idea of the difficult hardships you've suffered and dealt with in your personal life. And we crack on, that's who we are, we appreciate how blessed our lives are.
"But the world doesn't seem to accept that someone as fortunate as you is allowed to suffer hardships and feel sad. But you're a human, a beautiful incredible 26 year old human being. And no matter about money or the sucess you've worked so hard to achieve, you are allowed to feel.
"Tonight, and the last 48 hours, have broken my heart to see how the football world you love so much can be so cruel to you.
"To have something promised to you, to have been dragged along on an emotional rollercoaster, and to be toyed with until the final minute. To have 4 and a half years of your life promised to you, traveling, medicals, agreements made... promises made. To have prepared to move your entire life, our life's 100 of miles away in the space of a few hours.
"For it to be torn away from you at the last second, with absolutely no explanation.
Going from everything - to radio silence, no phone call, no communication and be left, broken hearted with nothing but confusion, has hurt more than I can say.
"I sit with you, knowing in my heart and deep down into my soul that you will bounce back from this. I am your biggest supporter. And I know you will overcome this with a fire in your belly and a motivation that no one can stop. I have already seen it tonight, even whilst you're facing the lowest point of your career."
McNeil has made 14 appearances in the league this season for Everton, but seven of those have came as a substitute.
In six out of the last seven games, he's failed to even make it off the bench.
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