Everton’s Greatest Premier League XI

Everton are one of just six clubs to have featured in every Premier League season to date, although for large chunks of that time, they looked destined to drop into the second tier.

The Toffees finished in the top ten just once in the league’s first ten seasons and only a dramatic final-day comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Wimbledon saw them survive the 1993-94 campaign.

But the appointment of David Moyes as boss in 2002 heralded a turnaround as the Scot led Everton to nine top-half finishes in 11 seasons – including fourth place in 2004-05.

Piecing together the Merseysiders’ greatest Premier League XI (in the classic 4-4-2 formation) is no easy task but a variety of eras are given representation below.

Tim Howard

Neville Southall can lay claim to being Everton’s greatest goalkeeper of all-time but the affable Welshman was at the peak of his powers during the 1980s and declining slightly by the dawning of the Premier League.

Contrastingly, Tim Howard was 27 when he moved from to Goodison Park from Manchester United in 2006 and became an unbeatable stalwart between the sticks for the next decade.

With 354 games, the American is Everton’s record Premier League appearance-maker and the emotional farewell letter he penned when leaving last summer, stating the club had “become part of my soul”, shows just how much the Toffees meant to him.

Seamus Coleman

For longevity and his cult hero status, many Everton fans might argue for Tony Hibbert in this position but truthfully, Seamus Coleman is a far better right-back than his one-club predecessor ever was.

Signed for just £60,000 from Sligo Rovers in 2009, the classy defender has proven himself to be one of the all-time bargains and made an instant impact when being named man of the match in his Premier League debut against Spurs.

The Irishman has already made 206 top-flight appearances – just 59 less than Hibbert – and has become renowned for his marauding runs from right-back, scoring 18 goals and contributing a slew of assists.

Dave Watson

Embroiled in relegation battle after relegation battle during the 1990s, Dave Watson racked up more than 200 Premier League appearances for the Toffees and over 400 total games during his 15 years at Goodison Park.

True, his 12 England caps and league title win came in the late 80s but the inspirational skipper was still the beating heart of the team in the following decade.

A centre-back in the traditional mould, he was nonetheless described by Kevin Ratcliffe as “the best centre-half I’ve ever played with” and just edges out other old-school options such as Alan Stubbs and David Weir.

Phil Jagielka

Initially a midfielder when signed from Sheffield United in 2007, it is at the heart of the Everton defence that Phil Jagielka has since made his home.

A knee injury robbed him of one season, but other than that, the England international, who has accrued 40 caps for his country, has been a consistent presence in the club’s back-four, forming rock-steady pairings with the likes of Joleon Lescott, Joseph Yobo and Sylvain Distin.

All those three were considered for a spot in this team but Jagielka’s almost 300 Premier League appearances, and two Everton player of the season awards get him the nod.

David Unsworth

Honestly, there is little to choose between David Unsworth and Leighton Baines as the greatest Everton left-back of the Premier League era.

Both have made over 300 top-flight appearances for the Toffees and provided an unusual level of dead-ball expertise for a full-back.

Unsworth, who notched an incredible 33 Premier League goals, mostly from the penalty spot, helped the club to their 1995 FA Cup triumph and fully earned the affectionate nickname of ‘Rhino’ he was dubbed with for his physical, gutsy style of play.

Andrei Kanchelskis

He may only have played at Goodison Park for a short while but Andrei Kanchelskis burned oh so brightly during his two-year spell on Merseyside.

Alongside a slew of limited, if willing, players, Kanchelskis was a class apart as the Russian’s trickery down the flank tormented defender after defender.

He plundered 16 goals during his debut 1995-96 campaign – including both in a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield to guarantee hero status – to help secure the Toffees’ only top-ten finish in the first decade of the Premier League, and his departure for Fiorentina in 1997 was a real blow.

Mikel Arteta

Comfortable on the ball and a superb distributor, Mikel Arteta was seen as the ideal replacement for Thomas Gravesen when he moved to Everton from Real Sociedad in 2005, and the Spaniard slotted right in.

Named as player of the season in each of his first two years at Goodison, Arteta had incredible vision but, much like Gravesen, was also more than happy to get stuck into a tackle.

He departed for Arsenal after 27 Premier League goals in 174 appearances in 2011, and although his exit left a bad taste in Toffees fans’ mouths, he remains one of the club’s best midfielders.

Tim Cahill

Only Romelu Lukaku and Duncan Ferguson have scored more Premier League goals for Everton than Tim Cahill’s 56 and for a time, he was one of the premier midfielders in the division.

Signed for a bargain £1.5million from Millwall, Cahill was the club’s top goalscorer in his first season at Goodison and helped them to their highest-ever Premier League finish of fourth.

With a heading ability as good as anyone around, the Australian became the first Toffee in 18 years to be nominated for the Ballon D’Or when he made the shortlist in 2006 and he is rightly considered a club legend.

All of that means he is selected for this team ahead of the likes of Gravesen, Lee Carsley, Marouane Fellaini and cult hero Graham Stuart, whose two goals on the final day of the 1993-94 season kept Everton in the top flight

Steven Pienaar

Everton haven’t always been blessed with standout wingers but Steven Pienaar provided a consistent touch of class on the flanks during his two spells at the club.

Having signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2007, the South African’s trickery and creativity unlocked many a defence and he also chipped in with 20 league goals of his own for the Toffees.

Injuries hampered Pienaar towards the end of his time on Merseyside but memories of him and Leighton Baines linking up down the left will bring a smile to many an Evertonian face.

Duncan Ferguson

You don’t earn the nickname Duncan Disorderly without being something of a loose cannon but Duncan Ferguson’s unpredictability only served to endear him to the Everton faithful.

The Scot racked up 60 Premier League goals for Everton, eight red cards (including being the only man to be sent off in the Premier League on Valentine’s Day), four convictions for assault, which included one for an on-pitch headbutt while playing for Rangers, a famous throttling of Leicester City’s Steffen Freund and twice hospitalising burglars who broke into his home – the legend of Ferguson writes itself.

In purely footballing terms he was, to put it lightly, a handful for defenders and as the only man in Premier League history to score a hat-trick of headers, it was no secret to what he would try to do – but few managed to stop him.

Romelu Lukaku

Arguably just as physical as Ferguson, but inarguably far more skilful, Lukaku broke the Scot’s Premier League goalscoring record for Everton in less than four seasons.

Where the Belgian will play his football next season looks set to dominate the summer headlines but his importance to the Toffees can’t be overstated after already notching 68 league goals for the club.

He cost Everton £28m from Chelsea back in 2014 but has been worth every penny and, still only 24-years-old, this natural goalscorer is set to get even better. Whether that happens at Goodison Park remains to be seen.

Honourable mentions: Neville Southall, Tony Hibbert, Joseph Yobo, Joleon Lescott, David Weir, Leighton Baines, Leon Osman, Marouane Fellaini, Graham Stuart, Lee Carsley, Thomas Gravesen, Wayne Rooney, Kevin Campbell