Everton’s transition to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium marks a pivotal moment in the club’s history, as former player Francis Jeffers expresses optimism that the move will alter the club’s transfer policy. This shift comes in the wake of Wayne Rooney’s emotional farewell at Goodison Park, where he was heckled during the ‘End of an Era’ ceremony. Rooney, who famously wore a ‘Once a Blue, always a Blue’ t-shirt, left Everton for Manchester United at 18, only to return for a brief stint in the 2017/18 season. As Everton prepares for their final Premier League match of the season against Newcastle United, they face the prospect of encountering another homegrown talent, Anthony Gordon, who joined Newcastle for £45 million in January 2023.
Francis Jeffers said: “In that season that I left, Bally (Michael Ball) went to Rangers and Dunney (Richard Dunne) had gone a bit earlier to Manchester City. We certainly won’t be doing it now, but we shouldn’t have been doing it then. For me, I didn’t want to leave Everton, but I sort of knew, I had no choice really. I was going into the last year of my contract. I only ever signed one professional deal at Everton, and that was when I was 15. I signed a three-year professional and it was called a YTS then and after that you can sign professional forms when you are 17. I agreed that deal when I was 15, so from when I broke into the first team to when I left, I’d never ever signed a new contract. The one I signed was from when I was 15 and when you turn 17, these will be the terms of it. Not that it matters, but I wasn’t well-paid. That deal had been agreed when I was a kid. I was going into the last year and the club obviously knew that and thought if we can’t agree a new contract with him, we’re probably better letting him go now.”
Jeffers’ reflections highlight a period when Everton frequently sold their top talents due to financial constraints. The move to Hill Dickinson Stadium is seen as an opportunity to retain promising players and build competitive teams. Jeffers emphasized the importance of keeping homegrown talents, as they resonate deeply with fans.
Jeffers added: “When you used to speak to Bill (Kenwright), it’s not that he’d tell you, but he had no choice. We had to sell our best players, it’s what we did. We’ve done it for too long. We should be hanging on to our best players and hopefully now with the way the club is and the position with it moving forwards and going in the right direction, we can hang on to the best players so we can start building good teams. The fans love nothing more than one of their own playing, they get behind them. I think sometimes you can’t stop it. Sometimes you’re surplus to requirements or the bid is too big and you can’t turn it down.”
The farewell to Goodison Park was a poignant occasion, with Jeffers noting the emotional experience of reconnecting with former teammates and club legends from the 1980s. He expressed hope that the new stadium would usher in a return to the club’s former glory, echoing sentiments shared by David Moyes during the ceremony.
Jeffers said: “It was an incredible experience, it was emotional. From the moment we arrived at the Titanic Hotel early in the morning for a bit of breakfast, you’re bumping into all your old team-mates. It was a great day, and I really enjoyed it. The big thing for me was meeting up with the successful team from the 1980s because a lot of them were my heroes, to be in the same room as them given what they achieved with our club was fantastic and I was a bit star-struck when I actually saw them. We’ve been starved off success for a long time now. It was also a sad day in some ways but hopefully now the new ground is the start of our club getting back, like the David Moyes said on the pitch at the end, let’s get back to where we believe we should be.”
As Everton looks to the future, the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium symbolizes a new chapter with aspirations of retaining talent and achieving success reminiscent of their storied past.
