He was never really a pacy player. I think the injuries affected his ability to cover the pitch more than his speed getting about it. He definitely changed from being a more creative player and goal threat, to a more functional 'engine-room' type hub later in his career, but I think he's earlier seasons at Everton playing out wide give of a false impression of what his style was. He was always a central playmaker that played wide, his creativity allowed him to get by without pace out there. Even when his game changed at Everton, he was still the most creative in the midfield partnership when he moved more centrally after the injury. The move centrally allowed him to bring his experience to bear and influence the whole match more, rather than being a creative force further up the pitch. When he came to us it was another slight drop in position back down the pitch too, as Paul said, fulfilling a specific job.
