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Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Séamus Coleman signs one-year contact extension at Everton
Everton captain Séamus Coleman has signed a one-year contract extension, saying on Friday that the chance to lead the club into their new stadium was a key reason to continue. The 36-year-old Republic of Ireland defender signed the deal just three days before his previous contract expired. He was forced off in the first half of Everton's final game at Goodison Park last month with a thigh injury and missed Ireland's draws with Senegal and Luxembourg. He is expected to be fit in time for next season. 'Thanks to the hard work of many people, we've been able to get into our magnificent new stadium and pave the way for a brighter future under ambitious new owners [Friedkin Group], which I want to be part of,' Coleman said in a statement. Coleman joined the Merseyside club from Sligo Rovers in 2009 during David Moyes's first spell as manager. Moyes joined for a second spell in January, guiding Everton to a 13th-place finish. READ MORE 'In David Moyes, we have the perfect manager to lead us into a new era. He showed his abilities once again with the way he had us playing after returning last season. 'As the man who brought me to Everton, I can't speak highly enough of him. He gets this football club, the standards required every day, and what it means to play for Everton.' Coleman holds the club record for most Premier League appearances (369) and is joint 12th on Everton's all-time list with 428 matches in all competitions, just five behind Dixie Dean and Leon Osman. 'This could be a period of real change at the club and I want somebody who can help deliver the messages of what it means to be an Everton footballer. Séamus has always done that and I know he will continue to do so as we move into a new era,' Moyes said. Everton begin their league campaign away at Leeds United on August 18th. (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Seamus Coleman extends Everton stay into 17th season after signing new deal
Seamus Coleman is set to play for Everton for a 17th season after the defender signed a new one-year deal. The 36-year-old, who skippered Everton in their last ever game at Goodison Park, could captain them in their first at their new home of the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Manager David Moyes is also trying to sign another right-back, Kenny Tete from Fulham, but had said weeks ago that he was keen to keep the veteran Coleman, who he brought to Everton for a bargain £60,000 from Sligo Rovers in 2009. And Moyes said he wanted Coleman's character to help him in the new era, explaining: 'Seamus is more than just a player at Everton. He offers so many different qualities. 'His leadership, his professionalism and his humanity are second to none. He's helped carry the club through some difficult periods in the past few years and his influence in the dressing room has been key to that. 'He's had to deal with some really difficult injuries, too, but he has done that and still been able to help inspire inside the dressing room at the same time. 'This could be a period of real change at the club and I want somebody who can help deliver the messages of what it means to be an Everton footballer. Seamus has always done that and I know he will continue to do so as we move into a new era.' Coleman has made 428 appearances for Everton, including a club record 369 in the Premier League, and is only five games away from their all-time top 10, with his former teammate Leon Osman and their greatest goalscorer Dixie Dean tied on 433. The Republic of Ireland international said: 'I love Everton, so to continue playing for this special club means everything to me and my family. Like every one of our passionate fans, I've lived and breathed what has been a difficult past few years for the club and have put my heart and soul into doing all I can to help us get through it. 'Thanks to the hard work of many people, we've been able to get into our magnificent new stadium and pave the way for a brighter future under our ambitious new owners, which I want to be part of. 'In David Moyes, we have the perfect manager to lead us into a new era. He showed his abilities once again with the way he had us playing after returning last season. 'As the man who brought me to Everton, I can't speak highly enough of him. He gets this football club, the standards required every day, and what it means to play for Everton. 'He has helped stabilise the club since his return and we have a manager who cares about Everton as much as I do. 'It's well known we will have a lot of new faces join us this summer, and I hope I can help them settle in as quickly as possible. And after a disappointing time with injuries last season, my focus will be on working hard, spending as much time on the pitch as possible, and helping Everton any way I can.' Everton have only made one signing so far this summer, with Charly Alcaraz's loan being turned into a permanent deal, while they could lose Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Michael Keane at the end of June, when their contracts expire. They chose to release one veteran full-back, in Ashley Young, but were determined to keep Coleman.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Asmir Begovic interview: Everton optimism, Moyes' influence and ‘icon' Coleman
Asmir Begovic is philosophical about what is to come. The veteran goalkeeper is soon to be a free agent, his contract with Everton expiring at the end of the month. It has been confirmed that he will not be getting a new deal with them. Begovic, who turns 38 next week, describes the decision-making process around his Everton exit as 'simple'. Talks were short and succinct. Advertisement 'They wanted to change direction a bit and bring in new blood,' he tells The Athletic. 'For me, it was easy. No hard feelings. You respect the decision. We gave it everything and shook hands, having done our job. That's what makes it something you look back on with some fondness.' Begovic's time at Everton was largely challenging, for reasons beyond his control. His first spell, between 2021 and 2023, saw two relegation battles. Then, after a year with west London-based Queens Park Rangers in the second-tier Championship, he returned to Goodison Park last summer, with Everton still financially stricken and in the midst of a lengthy takeover process. His role changed slightly last season compared to that first stint. He went from being No 2 'keeper to third-choice, providing able cover for England international Jordan Pickford and backup Joao Virginia — who is leaving too this summer with the expiry of his contract — yet still saw rejoining Everton as a 'no-brainer'. A call from the Merseyside club's then director of football Kevin Thelwell last summer emphasised that Begovic would play a valuable leadership role with the place still engulfed in uncertainty. Everton wanted to lean on the experience he gained during that tumultuous first spell. 'I don't think anyone would have known what was to happen in those first two years,' Begovic says. 'So it was absolutely nothing new (to me). 'Being able to deal with it in a really calm way was obviously part of the appeal in bringing me back. I knew exactly what to expect, and it was easy to cope with everything.' Begovic describes his first spell with Everton as more challenging than the second — 'there was a lot of turmoil, probably unexpectedly'. But there is now a sense the club are stronger having come through such adversity, which included two separate points deductions for financial breaches in the 2023-24 season, after the takeover by The Friedkin Group and the move to their new stadium for next season. 'Because of that period, everyone knew what it could be like,' says Begovic, who did not make an appearance last season as Pickford excelled and Virginia played once each in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. 'Those past experiences have really helped the team to be calm and deal with certain situations.' Advertisement Present during two turbulent chapters in the club's recent history, Begovic ended up playing an admittedly unheralded part in seeing them through unscathed. He was part of a senior leadership group that also included captain Seamus Coleman, defenders James Tarkowski and Ashley Young and Pickford. Coleman's presence helped ensure all 'egos were left at the door'. 'Seamus is the ultimate leader, the icon of the club,' says the Canada-raised Bosnia-Herzegovina international. 'He sets the tone. He's somebody that you just want to play with and play for. What he represents and what he stands for really epitomise Everton and everything the club can be. 'We had a really good group behind that, trying to set certain standards and keep everyone together. There was some good quality in the squad and we had fantastic support staff, so I felt like it was a really good mix this year. That sort of made us achieve the maximum we could. 'No matter the circumstances, we always stuck together and kept pushing. The fruits of the labour really came through in the second half of the season.' Everton ended the campaign in fine form under David Moyes, back for a second stint as manager over a decade after leaving for Manchester United, finishing in a comfortable mid-table position. The woes in the first half of the season under the Scot's predecessor Sean Dyche are now a distant memory, but there was always a sense the squad could do better. 'That (early period) probably wasn't a true reflection of us and the quality we had,' Begovic says. 'But even when results weren't where we wanted them to be, I don't think we were a million miles away,' he adds, pointing to games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa where Everton lost after surrendering 2-0 leads. 'After that, we really showed the team we could be with the new manager coming in. We were able to turn it around and made it a lot easier for ourselves.' Advertisement So what changed when Moyes arrived in January? 'The funny thing is, when he came in, he said there's not much that needs to change, especially defensively,' he says. 'In possession, he put his touch on certain things and added different details, and that mix worked.' Another key difference was the shift in atmosphere, with Moyes' return to the club he led for over a decade between 2002 and 2013 providing something of a comfort blanket. 'I don't think you can underestimate the impact that he had,' Begovic says. 'The atmosphere, as soon as he walked in — his legendary status — made a really big difference. 'He's a really experienced, calm manager. He never gets too high or too low, just really believes in what he does. He's got a really good staff and surrounds himself with really good people. He tries to create camaraderie. But at the same time, he'll tell you how it is if he wants certain things done in a better way. He just has a really good mix.' We talk about Pickford, the team's talisman during those relegation battles and Begovic's long-time training partner. Despite being the Everton and England No 1, there is still a sense he does not receive the plaudits from some quarters that he deserves. 'He's playing at an incredibly high level,' Begovic says. 'Obviously, he loves being at Everton, and Everton love him. He's doing the business for England, going from strength to strength, and it's great to see. 'We've developed a really big respect and friendship, pushed each other in training and made each other better. You do get better with experience. I've seen a change (in) his maturity, the way he plays the game. 'He's been the best goalkeeper in the Premier League for the last five years.' Mentorship seems to come naturally to Begovic. He enjoys passing on his experience, gained during stints at Chelsea, Portsmouth and Stoke City among others, and has his own academy, which operates in both the UK and Bosnia. In his spare time, he is making more media appearances, paving the way for a potential life after professional football. But he remains keen to prolong his playing career. Advertisement 'You only get one chance at this job,' Begovic says. 'I've looked after myself well over the last few years. In football, I don't look too far ahead. Hopefully, the right situation comes up, and I'd like to keep doing it. I'm really open to all roles. I've done them now, so let's see what happens.' The end of one chapter, then, and the start of another — for Begovic and the club he is leaving behind. What comes next may be unclear, but he is optimistic about Everton's future, having played his small part in safeguarding it. 'Hopefully, Everton have weathered the storm and you're looking at brighter times,' Begovic says. 'They deserve nothing but the very best. Ownership, hopefully, can open up more resources and opportunities with the new stadium. It's exciting times and hopefully they can make the most of it.'
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Duncan Ferguson reveals the current England international who 'battered him' in a training ground boxing match - after Toffees legend warned star he would 'get hurt'
Duncan Ferguson has admitted he was 'battered' by a current England international in a boxing match during his time at Everton. Ferguson played over 270 times for Everton during two separate spells at Goodison Park, first between 1994 and 1998 and later between 2000 and 2006. The former forward had established a reputation as a hardman during his playing career, having been sent off on nine occasions. Ferguson was sent to prison for three months in 1994 following an on-field assault of Raith Rovers' John McStay when he played for Rangers. He also famously confronted burglars on two occasions at his home in 2001 and 2003. One of the burglars in 2001 required a three-day stay in hospital following their confrontation with Ferguson. Despite his fearsome reputation, Ferguson revealed in his autobiography 'Big Dunc: The Upfront Autobiography', that a current England star got the better of him in a training ground boxing match. Ferguson explained he had attempted to convince Anthony Gordon to stop boxing, after hearing the winger had been sparring in gyms in Liverpool in the early stages of his career. As part of his efforts to dissuade Gordon, Ferguson warned him that he would 'get hurt' if he continued to spar. Having handed Gordon his Everton debut in a Europa League tie during an interim spell as manager in 2019, Ferguson had then faced the youngster during a boxing match at Everton's Finch Farm training ground. 'I made sure Gordon got his debut at Limassol, I then gave Anthony his second game against Leicester,' Ferguson wrote. 'I loved his appetite to improve, he wanted to learn and practice, practice, practice. 'He was as fit as a fiddle and took diet seriously but was still going to different boxing gyms and sparring. "You have to stop," I told Anthony, "You can't go to them, you'll get hurt". 'He battered me once in the Finch Farm gym. I had a pair of boxing gloves on, he didn't. And I didn't do it again. Anthony's a bright lad, knows what he wants and is dedicated and lightning quick.' Gordon has previously claimed boxing has helped to improve his game, suggesting he began to enjoy contact from defenders and could hold them off easier. He had reportedly asked about boxing trainers in the Newcastle area when he joined in a £45million move in 2023, but ultimately decided against continuing sparring in gyms. Speaking to the BBC last year, Gordon suggested his roots in Liverpool had encouraged his love of boxing, with fighters like Tony Bellew, Liam and Callum Smith coming from the city. 'I think everyone in Liverpool likes boxing,' Gordon said. 'I think every kid just finds themselves in the local boxing club. 'You grow up watching it as well. On the pitch, I think it makes me more aggressive, play with more tenacity. 'Before I started [boxing], I was down a lot. I would get pushed off the ball a lot.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
A new home for Everton Women, all summer targets signed: ‘We have something here'
May 18, 2025. Everton Women manager Brian Sorensen exists in two universes. There is Sorensen Redacted, the version disseminated on Everton's socials. The Danish manager standing in the epicentre of the Goodbye Goodison Park celebrations, accepting the pressure and privilege of making the storied stadium his side's new home. Advertisement Then there is Sorensen Unfiltered or, as Sorensen sees it and those close to the head coach attest, 'just me, Brian'. The man who declared in front of 40,000 or so weepy-eyed Evertonians that 'it's big shoes to fill, but we already made Anfield our training pitch. So we're looking forward to it'. Everton Women have won their four matches at Anfield since 2019 by an aggregate score of 7-1, after all. Amid the bittersweet blue pyro of Goodison's farewell, Sorensen wore a mischievous grin. He winked. The crowd cheered. Three weeks later, in a small office at the top of the Liver Building in which Everton have their headquarters, vestiges of that mischief dance across Sorensen's face when this moment is recalled. 'I don't think about whether I can say something, if I'm successful enough to say it. I just enjoy the ride,' says Sorensen. So, he's enjoying it? A flash of a grin. Advertisement 'The first question I used to get in an interview with an agent and a potential player is: 'Are the men('s team) still going to be supporting you?'. Now, I don't get those questions. Because action speaks louder than words.' Sorensen reclines in an office chair, fresh off the final day of his League Managers Association management diploma. Sporting a retro cream Everton hoodie and bright blue and yellow Nikes, he oozes dangerous levels of zen. 'My last assignment was due on Thursday, I was doing it Wednesday night,' he says. This is not so much procrastination as an example of Sorensen's innate calm, born out of his upbringing in Arden, Denmark. The small railway town was home to his very large family. From the time he was born until Sorensen was 15, days were spent on his grandmother's farm, alongside a rotating compilation of his father's seven siblings and Sorensen's 36 cousins. 'We didn't buy anything from the store,' says Sorensen, who is an adept carpenter like his father and builds climbing frames for his six-year-old daughter, Rose, in their back yard in the south of Liverpool. 'We did everything, built everything, grew everything, we had all types of animals. So you couldn't take things too seriously or dwell too much because we need to put food on the table. Advertisement 'My wife (Camilla) sometimes kills me because things that don't affect me or I can't affect, I'm like, 'Why stress about them? It'll all work out, you know?'. 'I really, hate micromanagement,' he adds. Autonomy, instead, is his currency, a lesson gleaned from his grandmother. 'She's my role model. How she could control 20 kids at one time, on a farm, I have no idea. You give people the tools but trust them to use them right.' Since April 2022, when Sorensen joined Everton from Denmark's Fortuna Hjorring, the past three seasons have turned on savvy survival. Annual squad budgets ranged between £3million and £4m ($4m and $5.4m) due to the club's wider financial plight. Injury crises across Sorensen's first two seasons exacerbated an already gossamer-thin squad. Everton's budget for the start of 2024-25 ranked the lowest in the Women's Super League (WSL), with all seven summer recruits arriving on free transfers. That Everton kept well away from any potential relegation wreckage in all three seasons under Sorensen (they've finished sixth, eighth and eighth) is a testament to the Dane's capacity to build from very little. Advertisement 'All the players we've recruited have done super well for us, they're good people,' he says, 'but I had to play people out of position because I had to take the good players who were available, waiting for clubs to announce their released lists. That's where we've struggled all these years. I had no budget.' This summer, things are different. The WSL summer transfer window does not officially open until June 18 but six new signings have already committed to Everton, with a possible two more to follow. As we speak, an international player, whom Sorensen says he had been attempting to recruit since last October, waits in a room across the hall, ready to put pen to paper. This has been the speed of operation since the Friedkin Group's (TFG) takeover in January. That same month, Everton completed the permanent signings of midfielder Hayley Ladd and striker Kelly Gago from Manchester United and Nantes, along with three loan moves. For the first time in nearly 12 months, Sorensen had a full bench. In April, Sorensen and his assistant manager, Stephen Neligan, signed new contracts, followed by new deals for defenders Kenzie Weir and Clare Wheeler. The following month, Everton confirmed the women's team's historic move to Goodison Park, leaving behind Walton Hall Park, along with the appointment of Hannah Forshaw as chief executive of Everton Women. 'Active' is how Sorensen describes the period. Which feels something of an understatement. Advertisement 'For the first time since I've been here, I got all of my targets,' he adds. 'That's never happened before because we're not in the top of the ranking order.' Sorensen assembles his hands to form a food chain. 'There's Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, then the powerhouses in Spain, France and Germany, then some Italian teams because they pay more.' He drops his hand lower. 'Then there's us.' Under TFG, the ambition is to reposition Everton into the top echelon, as well as be a landing spot for England internationals. No English club was represented in Sarina Wiegman's England Euro 2025 squad outside the top four (although Arsenal forward Michelle Agyemang was included after a season on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion). Only six Everton players from last season regularly started for their international teams. Sorensen has faith the shift will occur sooner rather than later. He tells the story of TFG's first meeting at Finch Farm in January in front of the club's entire staff and playing teams. 'The first thing they said was they want to support the women's team,' Sorensen says. 'Then they began speaking about the men's team, the academy, so on. That was the first sign of, 'OK, they actually want to support us, they're taking it seriously'.' Advertisement The move to Goodison has been a catalyst — for recruitment but also commercial opportunities. 'Thousands of people (at Goodison on May 18) had probably never watched Everton Women,' Sorensen says. Now? Gates of 10,000 is the ambition, roughly five times the average attendance (2,000) Everton clocked during the 2023-24 season, the second lowest in the WSL. The limitations of Walton Hall Park — 2,200 capacity (half that under a roof) and council ownership meant little could be done to enhance the matchday experience — take some blame. Another avenue for revenue generation is selling shares in Everton Women to investors, similar to Alexis Ohanian's minority stake in Chelsea Women. 'I look at Angel City or Kansas City (in NWSL), the valuation they built from scratch,' Sorensen says. 'We have the best league in the world. If people can understand and see the growth, if they have the American mindset that this is something you should invest in now rather than later, then I don't see why it's not possible to do that in this country.' Or at Everton. 'We have something here,' Sorensen says, reeling off a list: the country's 'best stadium'. A clear playing style. Last season's fifth-best defence in the WSL, despite having a rotating cast that included six different centre-back partnerships, five right-backs and three left-backs. Advertisement Sorensen also knows the value of the collective. His family lived within 15 miles of each other, all skilled tradespeople: plumbers, carpenters, bricklayers. 'The whole family would go over to one sibling's house, do it up in two months, then go to the next one,' he says. Sorensen's recruitment doctrine has roots here, valuing people and teamwork skills above all else, sounding out the opinions of players over those of agents for character references. With most recruitment work finished, Sorensen's summer plans are relaxed. In late May, he travelled back to Denmark with Camilla, their six-week-old son, Milas, and Rose, the latter spending her days on the tractor with her grandad, navigating the fields Sorensen grew up on. Now back in Liverpool, there's a new garden to build, a workout gym for himself and his wife. 'I need to get fit,' he quips. He's already constructed an outdoor gymnastics setup for his daughter, fit with climbing walls, monkey bars, a rubber floor and a television so she can stream practice videos. 'She walks more on her hands than her legs nowadays.' Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Everton, UK Women's Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
