James Tarkowski has written his first programme notes as permanent Everton captain, ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
It tells you plenty about where this club thinks it’s at going into 2026/27.
Following Seamus…
The armband was never really in doubt once Seamus Coleman called it a day this summer after 17 years and well over 400 appearances.
Tarkowski had already been doing the job whenever Coleman was injured, but there’s a difference between deputising and having it made official.
“I’ve had the fortune of being led at Everton by an outstanding captain in Seamus Coleman,” he writes. “While I’m fully aware of the big task it is to follow on from him, I know it’s important to continue the high standards Seamus set day in and day out.”
He’s said similar things before — always insisting he was only “vice-captain” while Coleman was still around. So there’s genuine pride behind him calling this “truly one of the proudest moments of my career.”
Welcoming the new faces…
Tarkowski name-checks five summer arrivals — Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George back from loan, plus new signings Hayden Hackney, Christian Nørgaard and Brennan Johnson.
“All of them have settled in well,” he writes, “and we are looking forward to everyone throughout the squad having a part to play.”
It’s a shift in tone for a squad that’s had constant change these past few years — new ownership, a new stadium, and now a leadership group rebuilt almost from scratch after Coleman and Idrissa Gueye departed.
No spin on last season…
Tarkowski doesn’t dodge how 2025/26 actually finished.
Everton went winless in their last seven games and dropped to 13th, missing out on Europe after being firmly in the mix for most of the season — something he’s called “so disappointing” before, given the work put in earlier on.
His notes strike the same chord: “It was a big disappointment to finish 2025/26 as we did and miss out on Europe — but there was so much good work for us to build on this time around.”
An honest account rather than PR, which, in fairness, aligns with how he’s always talked about this club.
The Palace reunion…
There’s a personal subplot to this one. Dwight McNeil left for Crystal Palace this summer as part of the swap that brought Brennan Johnson the other way, and Tarkowski doesn’t skip it.
“Dwight is a close friend of mine, having been a teammate at both Burnley and Everton, and we all wish him all the best at Palace — after today!”
It’s also a reminder of what Palace represent now. As Tarkowski points out, this is a side that’s won the FA Cup and the Conference League recently — silverware Everton haven’t got near in that time.
No false modesty from Tarky in how he sizes up the game either: “We know today won’t be an easy start for us.”
The bigger picture…
He closes on a message that’ll feel familiar to anyone who’s followed him at this club — ambition without overpromising.
“Like everyone connected with Everton, I want this club to be right up there battling with the best. It’s where we should be.”
He points to the crowd, the squad, and Moyes’ knowledge of the club as reasons for confidence, without guaranteeing anything beyond hoping for three points tomorrow.
For a first set of notes as permanent captain, it’s about as measured as you’d expect — honest about last season, respectful of Coleman, realistic about Palace, clear about what comes next.
Up the Toffees.
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