Everton fans have every reason to be optimistic after an exciting few months on and off the pitch.
The Toffees moved into their 52,000-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer and had an ambitious transfer window, with Jack Grealish’s loan arrival from Manchester City arguably the headline arrival.
The England winger has enjoyed a promising start to life at Everton, capped by a stoppage-time winner against Crystal Palace on Sunday which lifted the club to eighth in the Premier League.
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‘Everton have transformed as a club’, claims former star
Former Everton winger Pat Nevin is excited to see what his old club can achieve (Image credit: Getty Images)
One man who knows all about Everton’s potential is Pat Nevin, who joined the club in 1988 – when the Toffees had won two First Division titles in the previous three years.
The Scot, who spent four years at Goodison Park, is positive about the club’s trajectory since David Moyes returned as manager in January and believes a European place is within reach.
Nevin spent four years at Everton following his arrival in 1988 (Image credit: Getty)
Nevin told online betting site BetWright: ‘Since David Moyes was appointed, Everton have transformed as a club; they’ve been fighting relegation battles in recent years!
‘I don’t see a reason why they can’t achieve what Crystal Palace did last year by qualifying for a European competition. But I think most Evertonians would agree that we want to see the club get to 32 points before thinking any further!
‘After that, I think the battle in mid-table will be really close at the end of the season. The top four or five might pull away, but every club below them could find themselves bunched.
‘A club can be sat in sixth or seventh place, go on a poor three-game run and drop into the bottom five!’
Grealish has hit the ground running since his arrival from City (Image credit: Getty Images)
Grealish has already shown he will be key if Everton are to push for Europe, having claimed four assists in his opening seven Premier League games as well as that winning goal against Palace.
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The 30-year-old, ranked no.27 FourFourTwo’s list of the best English midfielders ever, appears revitalised on Merseyside after a tough couple of years at City – and Nevin knows a strong season could see Grealish earn an England recall under head coach Thomas Tuchel ahead of the World Cup next summer.
Grealish fell out of favour at City, paving the way for his move to Everton (Image credit: Getty Images)
‘I’d be delighted if Thomas Tuchel picked Jack Grealish for the World Cup,’ added Nevin.
‘If I was in Jack’s position, I’d maximise my chances of being selected for the national team by staying at Everton. He’s guaranteed game time, been given creative freedom and isn’t drowned out by other star players in the side. He can flourish in David Moyes’ team and I think that’ll put him in a good position to be picked for England.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if Grealish was called up for the World Cup, but he plays in the toughest position to get picked for England. Behind the striker, there’s about nine players in the queue that can play across the attack.
‘It’ll be hard for him to get his name above theirs on the team sheet, but he’s got a far better chance of doing that at Everton, rather than Manchester City.’
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