Neville Southall: Cup win would put Everton back on top

Nov 28 2007 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

TOMORROW is the 10th anniversary of Neville Southall’s 750th and last Everton appearance. For someone who had played more games for the club and won more trophies with the club than anyone else and had played in arguably the club’s greatest ever side, it was hardly a fitting finale.

The manager might have been the same, Howard Kendall, the man who had brought Southall to Goodison 16 years earlier in a £100,000 transfer from Bury, but much of the old magic had faded by the time Southall bowed out on November 29 1997.

An Everton side that was probably the weakest in living memory were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Tottenham and Kendall – back in charge for an unprecedented third stint – was only able to guide the club to safety on the final day of the campaign.

Now, a decade on, the man widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper in Everton’s history reveals his thoughts on what he believes the future holds for the club he served with such distinction.

Southall said: “It’s flown – it only seems about two years ago to me but I supposed when you get older your memory goes!

“I came back to say my goodbyes for the Coventry game on the last day of the season when Everton had to avoid defeat to stay up.

“My exit was a bit low key, it wasn’t the way I’d have liked to have had it done but it was out of my control really.”

Replacing a legend like Southall has proved a thankless task for a succession of Everton goalkeepers over the past decade – the club have gone through 11 in the period at a rate of over one per year.

However, after going through a collection of highly-rated prospects who failed to cut the mustard or impressive but ageing talents like Nigel Martyn – who arrived at Goodison seven years too late for many supporters’ liking – Everton finally look like finding an heir worthy of inheriting Southall’s gloves in US international Tim Howard.

Southall said: “Tim’s done alright and they’ve got a couple of young keepers as well.

“Stefan Wessels can step in so they haven’t got a massive problem in that department.

“If you’re going to go and win things then you need two or three decent goalkeepers.

“Tim is playing really, really well and on current form he’s right up there with the best of them.

“Wessels came in and didn’t let them down whatsoever which is really good because we’ve not had that kind of depth before.”

He added: “Tim doesn’t make many mistakes. The difference between him and possibly Richard Wright is that the defence trust him – that’s a massive boost.

“You can look at him and know what he’s going to give you which is everything he’s got.

“Overall, he’s really consistent and he suits Everton in what they are now.

“He’s just what they need. He’s comfortable with the people around him and knows who needs to be told that they’re doing wrong and who needs a pat on the back.”

As Everton’s most-decorated player win two League Championships, two FA Cups and a European Cup-Winners’ Cup medal, Southall knows a thing or two about lifting trophies.

On the other hand, his later years at Goodison were blighted by several relegation battles and he was part of the team that only retained their Premier League status by the skin of their teeth in 1994 – recovering from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Wimbledon 3-2.