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Everton Legends - Profiles of the Greatest Players and Managers of Everton Football Club

Everton Football club have had many great players down the years, so putting together a list of twelve or so legends is a virtually impossible task. Nevertheless, we've given it a go. Here then is our list of Everton Legends, with apologies to some of the great players we've left out. (Current Everton players are not included).

Bill "Dixie" Dean

Position: Striker

Everton Career: 1924-1938

Appearances:431

Goals:377

Dixie Dean was the most prolific goal-scorer in the history of English football,  Everton's all-time top scorer and, in the opinion of most fans, the greatest of Everton Legends.

A consummate goal-scorer, with great dribbling and shooting ability, an immensely powerful header, and what he described himself as, a "lust for goals".

He signed for Everton from Tranmere Rovers in 1925 for a fee of £3,000, and was an immediate hit, scoring 32 goals in his first season. He followed this up with 60 goals in the 1927-28 season, a record unlikely to ever be beaten.

Everton won the league that year, but in 1930 they were relegated. The bounced back immediately as champions, and were First Division winners again in 1932. The following season they won the FA Cup, with Dean scoring in the Final.

He left to join Notts County in 1938 and also played for Sligo Rovers in Ireland before retiring.

Dixie Dean died in 1980, after suffering a heart attack while watching Everton against Liverpool at Goodison Park.  

Tommy Lawton

Position: Striker

Everton Career: 1936-1939

Appearances:209

Goals:222

After Dixie Dean left Everton, Tommy Lawton was left with the unenviable task of filling his boots. He responded with an incredible 222 goals in 209 games, at a goals per game ratio even better than Dean's.

A two-footed striker with pace and great heading ability he spent three years at Goodison before moving to Chelsea in 1945. Later played for Notts County, Brentford and Arsenal before retiring in 1955.

Brian Labone

Position: Defender

Everton Career: 1957-1972

Appearances:530

Goals: 2

Everton legend Labone spent his entire career at Goodison, making 530 appearances. He was club captain from 1965 to 71, and was a member of the championship winning sides of 1962-63 and 1969-70. He also won the FA Cup with Everton in 1966.

A tough tackling centre half, who was good in the air, Labone was also known as one of the gentlemen of the sport. He was booked only twice during his long playing career.

During the 1970-71 he sustained as serious Achilles tendon injury, which forced retirement from football.

Alex Young

Position: Forward

Everton Career: 1960-1968

Appearances:271

Goals:87

One of the best loved of Everton legends, Young signed from Hearts for £42,000 in 1960. He was an exceptionally gifted forward with great vision and touch which earned him the nickname "The Golden Vision".

He was a prolific goal-scorer, contributing 22 goals in Everton's title-winning 1962-63 campaign. He was also a member of the 1966 FA Cup winning team.

He left to join Northern Ireland club, Glentoran in 1968, and later played for Stockport County, before a knee injury forced his retirement.    

Ray Wilson

Position: Left Back

Everton Career: 1964-1969

Appearances:153

Goals:0

Arguably the best left back to have worn the famous blue of Everton, Wilson was a member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team.

A pacy defender with a strong tackle he was also a fair player who was never booked during his career.

His only club honour was the 1966 FA Cup with Everton. He was transfered to Oldham during the 1969-70 season, and so missed out on the 1970 League truimph.

Finished his career at Bradford City in 1971.

Colin Harvey

Position: Midfielder / Manager

Everton Career: (as a player) 1963-1975
(as manager)  1987-1990

Appearances:384

Goals:24

Harvey joined Everton as an apprentice in 1960 and made his debut in 1963 in a European Cup tie against Inter Milan.  A skilful player with an impressive range of passing, Harvey was one of Everton's midfield 'Holy Trinity' along with Howard Kendall and Alan Ball.

The Everton legend was part of the '66 FA Cup winning side and the 1969-70 title winning side.

He left to join Sheffield Wednesday in 1974 but retired a year later due to a persistent hip injury.

He later returned to Everton as coach of the successful mid-eighties team. He was also manager of the team from 1987-1990, and returned for a second stint as coach, under Howard Kendall.

Joe Royle

Position: Striker / Manager

Everton Career: (as a player) 1965-1975
(as manager)  1994-1997  

Appearances: 275

Goals: 119

Merseyside-born Joe Royle made his Everton debut at the tender age of 16 and developed into an imposing striker with great strength, a ferocious stop and powerful header.

He often operated as the lone striker in Harry Catterick's side and was a prolific goal-scorer, contributing  23 goals in the 1969/70 championship season.

Royle spent 10 years at Goodison, before moving to Manchester City where he won the League Cup. He later has spells at Norwich and Bristol City.

Royle returned to the club as manager in 1994 and cemented his place as an Everton legend by winning the FA Cup in his first season. He remained for 3 years before resigning in 1997, in a dispute over transfer funds.

Howard Kendall

Position: Midfielder / Manager

Everton Career: (as a player) 1966-1974, 1981
(as manager)  1981-1987, 1990-1993, 1997-1998

Appearances:274

Goals: 29

The second member of Everton's midfield "Holy Trinity" Kendall signed for the club in  1967. The classic holding midfielder, he was a vital component of the 1970 championship side freeing up Ball and Harvey to create havoc further upfield. But Kendall himself was an excellent reader of the game with a great range of passing.

He was transfered to Birmingham City in 1974, and later had spells at Stoke and Blackburn before finishing his career back at Everton in 1981.

Excellent player though he was, it is his management achievements that secure his place as an Everton legend. He had three spells at Goodison of which the first was the most successful - winning the league twice, the FA Cup, and the European Cup Winners Cup.

Alan Ball

Position: Midfielder

Everton Career: 1966-1971

Appearances:249

Goals: 78

Ball became Britain's first six-figure signing when he joined Everton from Blackpool shortly after helping England win the 1966 World Cup. A midfield dynamo with incredible stamina, he was a member of the 1970 league winning side, his only domestic honour in the game. He was the third member of Everton's famous midfield "Holy Trinity".

He remained at Goodison until 1971 when he was controversially sold to Arsenal. Ball remained active as a player until 1984 before moving into management.

Bob Latchford

Position: Striker

Everton Career: 1974-1981

Appearances:289

Goals: 138

Latchford was a classic centre-forward with pace, power, and great heading ability. He joined Everton from Birmingham City in 1974 for a then record transfer fee of £350,000, and was the club's leading scorer for six consecutive seasons. Despite this his time at Everton finished trophyless.

He was sold to Swansea City in 1981 and later had spells with Coventry and Lincoln City. Latchford retired in 1987.    

Kevin Ratcliffe

Position: Defender

Everton Career: 1979-1992

Appearances:472

Goals: 2

Everton legend Ratcliff is the most successful captain in the club's illustrious history.

A central defender with pace an an excellent reading of the game, he joined the club as an apprentice in 1977, but was not a first team regular until 1982.

A year later he was made captain, at the age of just 23. He went on the to lead the club through its most successful period, winning two league championships, an FA Cup, and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Ratcliff left Everton in 1992 and retired 3 years later having played for Nottingham Forest and Derby County, among others.

Neville Southall

Position: Goalkeeper

Everton Career: 1981-1998

Appearances:578

One of the best keepers to have played in England's top flight, Southall was signed from Bury in 1981 for £150 000 - a signing described by manager Howard Kendall as the best he ever made.

Southall won two Championship medals, two FA Cups and a Cup Winners' Cup with the dominant Everton side of the mid 1980's.  He was Footballer of the Year in 1985, and was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world at the time.

The Everton legend made 578 appearances for the club before joining Stoke City on a free transfer in 1998.

He finally retired from football in 2002, at the age of 44.

About the Author

Gary Walker is the editor of The-Football-Club.com, the
complete resource on club.com">English football. Here's more about
href="http://www.the-football-club.com/everton-football-club.html">Everton Football
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