Ahead of today’s game against Burnley, we reflect on some players who’ve featured for both teams.
5 – Aaron Lennon
I quite liked Aaron Lennon. A decent player and a hard worker, the winger spent three years at Goodison Park.
The former England international scored nine goals in 77 games for the Toffees and made his debut in the Merseyside derby in February 2015. We drew 0-0.
Perhaps best remembered for his less-than-happy appearance upon signing for the club. Why they chose to go with that picture, I’ll never know.
4 – Gareth Farrelly
Something of a cult figure at the Blues. In 27 games, the Irishman scored two goals – one of them the most important he ever scored.
Indeed, one of the most important in Everton’s history. A worldie of a strike, with his weaker right foot, Farrelly preserved the club’s top flight status on the final day of the 1997/98 season.
A 1-1 draw at home to Coventry kept the Toffees up due to a superior goal difference to Bolton Wanderers. Farrelly ironically signed for the Lancashire club a year later.
3 – Dwight McNeil
He gets a lot of stick, McNeil. He’s become something of a whipping boy of late, which I don’t think he deserves.
Yes, he’s only got one foot and no pace, but he did a decent job for us when things were incredibly dire. Scored a few decent goals as well. 14 in 99 games, to be precise.
It’s a testament to how far we’ve come in the last year that a player who we so heavily relied on in recent seasons is now so far down the pecking order.
Might be off in January, if rumours are to be believed. Cash in, reinvest and bid him farewell with no hard feelings.
2 – James Tarkowski
Tarks wears the armband more often than not these days. He’s another who’s done a job over the past few years.
He’s had some shaky performances this season, but has generally been a very reliable defender. Certainly not bad for a free transfer.
However long he’s got left at the club, he’ll always be remembered for that goal against that lot back in February. The last ever men’s derby at Goodison Park – those scenes will live very long in the memory.
1 – Michael Keane
Tarkowski’s centre-back partner for most of this season, Keane has been excellent under Moyes.
He’s had a few rough years at the Blues, and in the past I’ve been his biggest critic. However, he’s been outstanding this season, and has cleaned up after Tarks on more than one occasion.
He’s really stepped up to the plate in Branthwaite’s absence and has been one of the players of the season. He knows where the net is too. One against his former club today would be nice.
