Sean Dyche named two goalkeepers on the Everton bench for the final games of the season out of “respect” for Andy Lonergan.
The 39-year-old has been the third choice goalkeeper across the past two campaigns and is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Blues. He is a popular figure at the club and has been deemed a valuable part of the goalkeeping unit that has helped maintain Jordan Pickford’s sensational form. Dyche told the ECHO during the season that when his first team options were limited – as they were due to an extensive injury list across the final games – he still sought value from the experience he could offer through a place as a substitute. Typically he would turn to a youth player – with the likes of young centre back Reece Welch and midfielder Sean McAllister among those to taste life as part of the first team squad on a matchday last month. Showing respect for players such as Lonergan, who offer a valuable contribution to the squad, is also important to him.
Sean Dyche said: “My rule of thumb is always fill the bench. Sometimes out of respect for people like Lonners, who does a great job for us, sometimes to get young players – even if they are not going to get on, just to give them the involvement. I’ve never really believed in leaving people off the bench and going ‘oh look we haven’t got any players’, it’s not for me that. Give people a chance. It is the Premier League, give a young person the chance to feel what it is to be in the Premier League, so if I can fill the bench I will. But sometimes it is out of respect. Lonners works very, very hard in our goalkeeping department so it is to get him involved, part of the feel, part of the group and to keep that mentality.”
While Dyche preferred to fill all nine slots on the bench he did only name eight for the final game of the season against Bournemouth – including Lonergan, McAllister and Welch.
