Top 168 Everton Quotes & Sayings - Page 3

When Everton knock it long, they don't knock it long

I am thankful for everyone at the club that helped me, the fans, the coaches that I have had, the staff that have helped with injuries, I am really grateful to everyone at Everton. It was like a family to me.

I would have to say my best moment as an Everton player would probably be making my debut against Arsenal, coming on to such a good atmosphere as well. I was on the pitch when Ashley Williams scored the header and I remember he ran the full length of the pitch, and me being quite new I chased him all the way.

Maybe it's old-fashioned, but I've always preferred to see players with my own eyes than on a video or going on somebody else's recommendation. If that means getting up early and taking a flight, then so be it. Our success at Everton came from having a great recruitment team who I made sure were out watching the players.

At Everton, we have always tried to do good deals and have always tried to buy at the right age and the right price.

I felt pride, wonderful pride, when I was captain. It was an honour to take over from Labby. Anybody who has ever captained a big club, which Everton are, will tell you it's a great honour.

I had become a bit spoiled or complacent at Sporting and I needed a kick up the backside, which is what Everton gave me. It was quite tough going to an unfamiliar place where I didn't know anyone at first.

I experienced it at Sheffield United, where there were rumours that Everton were coming in for me and I was going there for a million pounds. At that time, I am a kid who uses social media like Twitter. Sheffield United fans were saying they would walk and carry me there, wanting me to go. As a boyhood Sheffield United fan, that still cuts me deep.

No money in this world could convince me to play for Liverpool. That's not a lack of respect for Liverpool supporters or the football club. It's respect for the Everton supporters. You just can't do that. It goes against everything that I stand for. No chance.

The expectations? It is normal at a club like Everton. We want to win every game, do everything that we can to win our matches, and at the end we'll see our position.

When family and friends go to Everton, they tell me that there's a moment when I get the ball, and fans get to their feet in anticipation. There's so much at stake that people live under permanent pressure.

You can't play for Everton if you can't handle the expectation because the fans love the club so much and I have played in some tough European away nights at a young age when things have not gone very well.

The biggest thing I will miss is 4 July when Everton are due back for pre-season training. I loved that day. I lived for it, getting back with the lads.

I signed as an 11-year-old for Everton. I broke into the Under-18s at the age of 14, then the reserves at 15, then I was in the first-team squad at 16.

I feel really good at Everton. My team-mates are helping me with my confidence on the field, and that is vital. And being part of the Brazil national team has been really important for my morale and a positive thing for my confidence.

I am from a city (Glasgow) that is not unlike Liverpool. I am joining the people's football club. The majority of people you meet on the street are Everton fans. It is a fantastic opportunity, something you dream about. I said 'yes' right away as it is such a big club.

I had a DVD and I think it was called 'Newcastle United: Flying High' in 2002 or 2003. I used to watch that all of the time, I think it was the year Shearer scored that famous volley against Everton.

From my youth team all the way through, I was encouraged to play that way by Keith Hill when I was at Barnsley, and then Roberto Martinez at Everton, through to Gareth Southgate when he was in charge of the England Under-21s.

I've met some Evertonians in the street, and they've been friendly. I've had taxi drivers who have been Everton fans. They've been really nice.

Dad used to reminisce about the good old days when Everton won the old first division championship and the FA Cup back in the 1970s and 80s but they weren't quite so good when I started supporting them.

I got racist abuse at Liverpool when I played for Watford. Then I played for Liverpool and didn't get it. If I had played for Everton against Liverpool then maybe the Liverpool fans would have racially abused me.

I think it is just something in my head that tells me to keep believing. Andy Spence, my manager at Everton, wrote me a little card before we came away and wrote at the bottom, 'Just remember, it only takes a second to score a goal.'

It was the best 10 years of my career, in fact they are the only team I ever actually played for. That’s what happens when you play for Everton, you forget the rest, the rest means nothing.

I used to hate Ian Rush when I was young, because I was a devout Evertonian in those days, and he seemed to score every time Liverpool played against us. It's strange to think he used to support Everton too when he was a kid. He was brilliant to me at Anfield always giving me good advice.

When I broke into the Everton side under Roberto Martinez, I was playing in the No. 10 role, and I had never played there before, so I was getting used to that role as a first-team player.

Getting the opportunity to become England's number one was down to being at Everton, I believe, and being able to put in solid performances week in and week out.

I was pretty comfortable at Crystal Palace and I could have easily stayed but I wanted to challenge myself, to test myself. I wanted to do that at Everton.

Every time I score the passion comes out and I try to relay that back to the fans and to the players and the staff how grateful I am to be playing for such a good football club. The fans have taken well to me. I am part of the furniture at Everton, but I don't take it for granted.

When I took over at Everton, the challenge for us was to try to go toe-to-toe with a club having success in Europe and sometimes competing for the Premier League.

I love Liverpool FC. My dad used to take me to games because he was a shareholder at Everton. When I came down to London, I realised that Liverpool FC was my team.

I first remember Wayne Rooney from a game at Old Trafford in 2002 when he came on as a late substitute for Everton and, in a brilliant 15-minute performance, skipped past me on a couple of occasions.

We spent last night listening to Liverpool football team on the radio, wanting them to win so badly. Paul supports Liverpool. He was Everton for a while because of his family - but it's all Liverpool now.

I've been to Wembley before to watch Liverpool and Everton in the FA Cup semi-final in 2012. I saw the atmosphere there, and I didn't ever think women's football would be played in front of those crowds in my time.

I have had four great years at Everton. The fans have been brilliant with me from the day I signed until the day I left. I am proud that the club will always be a big part of my career.

I first realised I was good at football when I started getting scouted by United, Liverpool, Everton; clubs like that had a lot of interest at an early age, and you kind of know then you're on the right path. I was about six years old and had to sign a contract at nine.

I'm very happy at Everton; it's a very good club with very good structure. The fans love the club and the players.

The feeling I had at 14, getting selected for Everton's Under-15 side - that excitement, pride, all the emotions - it never goes away. It still happens when I'm waiting for the England squad announcement. I'll get sweaty palms, I'll sit and scroll through my inbox, refreshing it continuously making sure that the email comes through.

I love where I am and the position I am in and I love playing for Everton Football Club.

If kids see you on the street and they want an autograph, that's a big honour so I spend half an hour before I get in the ground and 40 minutes to an hour after the game with the Everton fans signing autographs.

I'm not sure about Richarlison. I like him, I liked him when he was at Watford and he started well at Everton but would his preferred position be out on the left and cutting in? I'm not sure.

To be honest, from England Under-16s, through the 17s and 18s, really all the way through my youth career, I played at centre-half. For some reason, when I made my debut at Everton, I just played in central midfield, and it went from there.

I always followed Everton. If the team were playing on television, I would watch the game. If not, then I would look to check the results. I always wanted to see how they were doing.

It was too short: I've said many times that I would have done things differently had I known I'd only have 10 months because United are one of the few clubs in football who could have given a manager more time, like Bill Kenwright did with me at Everton.

I don't know if desperate is the right word but I know the fans have a big, big desire to see Everton challenging for titles and to win something but we have to go day by day.

I hold the record now with Dixie Dean for being the only Everton player to score three Merseyside derby goals at Anfield. I still hope to better it. Things like that, the fans never forget.

I went to Everton, and it's levels - the higher up you get, you are under more and more scrutiny as a football player. You have to learn to deal with it at that scale and gradually progress to be able to deal with it at an even higher scale.

If I believe I'm still a young kid, it's hindering me. I am leading the line for Everton so you have to grow into your shoes and carry that weight on your shoulders.

I'd been at Everton for more than 11 years. We'd qualified for the Champions League, got to an FA Cup final. I'd been voted manager of the season three times.