Whether or not this season ends in Europe, Everton have a squad that increasingly believes their dreams can be achieved with the club
Jarrad Branthwaite celebrates scoring the first goal with Dwight McNeil and James Garner during Everton's Premier League win over Newcastle United at St James' Park. Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Jarrad Branthwaite celebrates scoring the first goal with Dwight McNeil and James Garner during Everton's Premier League win over Newcastle United at St James' Park. Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
View 3 Images
Everton’s players are fully focused on the heights the club can now achieve as the Blues look to build on the progress of the past 12 months.
European qualification and the end of the club’s silverware drought are deemed as genuine goals for a core of key players who have bought into the project underpinned by new owners the Friedkin Group
That belief has been underscored by the commitment of some of the club’s most important stars, with the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite, Jordan Pickford and James Garner having signed new deals since the summer. All of them have lived through the pain of recent years - and they each believe Everton can now give them the platform to achieve their dreams.
Those players - all of whom were involved through the club’s recent struggles against relegation and off-the-pitch crises - have their sights set on what they can now build towards on Merseyside.
Branthwaite, whose new deal was one of the most significant moments of an era-changing summer for the club, is the latest to set out why he believes his personal ambitions are in tune with the potential of the club, one that David Moyes has restored belief to.
In an interview for the programme ahead of the midweek win over Burnley, the 23-year-old said: “I think the Everton identity is something the manager, David Moyes, has really brought back to the club.
“He's been brilliant with me, and not only me, the rest of the dressing room as well. He knows what this club means to people, he knows what it takes to be successful and he gives us confidence to go out there and play. We as a collective have made no secret that our goal this season is to get back into a European competition.
“It's an ambitious one after some tough years, but we all believe we have the quality to do so. And the target is still there for us as we approach the final part of the season.
“It's right that we keep looking up now and keep setting targets that move us forward as a club. It felt like the beginning of a new chapter heading into this season, a new home, our new owners, the manager beginning his first full season since returning.”
Branthwaite has shown signs of returning to his best in recent weeks after missing the first half of the season through hamstring trouble. The defender appears to be one of several players starting to hit form as the Blues approach the final nine games of the season in a good position to bid for Europe after back to back wins over Newcastle United and Burnley.
He continued: “We want to keep making progress and ultimately deliver success. I've been here for six years and I've seen a lot in that time, but it all feels genuinely positive right now. Long may it continue.
“As a player you think about winning trophies and to be part of a side that ends Everton's wait for one would be absolutely massive. This isn't a team or a club that will be fighting against relegation anymore, we want success. I feel like the way the club is going, the way that the manager is trying to build a team, build an identity, we can definitely achieve that in the next couple of years.”
The centre-back, who had been courted by the likes of Manchester United in recent seasons, is not the only star player to stress his belief the Blues can reach for the stars in years to come.
England number one Pickford is another player who has stayed loyal to Everton while balancing the pursuit for international glory with the fight to keep his club in the top flight.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after his stunning save from Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford reacts after his stunning save from Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali(Image: Will Palmer/Everton FC)
View 3 Images
No player did more to stop the unthinkable happening, with his save from Cesar Azpilicueta in the win over Chelsea that kickstarted the survival run under Frank Lampard and then, 12 months later, his penalty stop from James Maddison in the relegation dogfight with Leicester City, among the most important in the club’s long history.
This season his heroics are now contributing to what would, at the start of the campaign, have seemed an unlikely push for a return to Europe. He followed up his stunning reflex stop from Sandro Tonali to secure an important three points at Newcastle last weekend with another impressive save in the final moments against Burnley on Tuesday.
Speaking to publications including the ECHO last month, Pickford said it was an easy decision to agree fresh terms with the club earlier this season - a contract that will extend his stay to 12 seasons.
Of why he believes his legacy can be about more than relegation fights, he said: “When I joined we were in Europe, we know the history of Everton Football Club, there's a lot of fantastic history, a lot of trophies won, a lot of titles won, and it's how do we, as Everton players, now create our own history?
“We've seen over the last couple of years Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup and getting into Europe, Nottingham Forest getting into Europe, I know they're not having the best of seasons but they got into Europe, they were close to getting Champions League football last season, we've seen Newcastle winning the League Cup when they've not won a trophy for a long time. The opportunities are there, it's about taking them and grasping them with both hands when you get that opportunity.”
Like Branthwaite, James Garner is pushing to join Pickford in the England squad for the World Cup this summer and he agreed a new deal with the club in January despite being the subject of interest from Premier League rivals and clubs in Europe.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Thierno Barry of Everton celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate James Garner during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Everton at City Ground on December 30, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Everton goalscorers Thierno Barry and James Garner embrace after combining to score the crucial second goal in the 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest
View 3 Images
On his decision to commit to the club, Garner was another who did not see playing for the Blues as a drag on his ambitions as he explained: "I'm very grateful for all the support and all the love I've had over the past three-and-a-half years, but it's just the start.
"I've seen the progress we've made recently. Now I want to be part of that progress and get us back to where the club deserves to be.
"I feel like I'm now a part of the club and I'm hoping to be a part of it for a long time. I've got family members who are all Evertonians, so I know exactly the passion and, like I've just said, what it means to play for such a massive football club like this… The aim this season is to get into Europe. That's what us, as a club – and us as players and staff – should be aiming for. Nothing less.
"I think that's very achievable, and that's what we want for the next season and the seasons after that.”