Nicolo Tresoldi playing for Club Brugge.
Photo by KURT DESPLENTER / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images/James Gill – Danehouse/Gary Oakley – Everton FC/Everton FC
Harrison Armstrong playing for Everton.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton celebrates his goal to make it 1-1 during the Premier League match between Hull City and Everton at MKM Stadium in Hull, United Kingdom, on October 11, 2026.
Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford.
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Marcus Rashford takes a free-kick for England.
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Marcus Rashford playing for Manchester United.
Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images
How Everton could miss golden opportunity as Michael Carrick faces Man United sack
Michael Carrick playing for Manchester United.
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Credit: Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Recently it was reported that Amanda Staveley could be interested in buying Everton after The Friedkin Group put the club up for sale. And if she made a successful bid, then Eddie Howe would be her choice to manage the team, with David Moyes’ contract up at the end of the season. Moyes is also admired by Celtic.
Howe had been loosely suggested as a possible next Everton manager before that, and the former Newcastle United boss is on record saying he supported the Toffees during his childhood.
His achievements at Newcastle have made him one of the most desirable managers out there, and the fact he’s unattached only adds to his appeal.
But according to Sky Sports, Howe is one of two frontrunners to replace Carrick at United, the other being Julian Nagelsmann. Although he had been set to take a break from football, Sky report that Howe would be interested in talking to United about the position.
So he’s keen, and that will frustrate the Everton fans who are hoping he might succeed Moyes at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
There are several reasons why he’d be a great person to bring in. Newcastle were in a similar predicament to Everton now a few years ago, and he delivered their first domestic trophy in many years.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United Record
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Statistic Record
Games managed 231
Wins 116
Draws 43
Losses 72
Goals scored 418
Goals conceded 312
Points per game 1.69
Win percentage 50.2%
Trophies won 1
Major trophy EFL Cup (2024–25)
The Magpies were languishing in the Premier League, and he got them into the Champions League twice. There were also many examples of player development – Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak became superstars under his guidance.
Howe would be fantastic for Everton, and he would also bring the kind of front-foot style that so many Evertonians are longing to see, having had to watch Moyes’ pragmatism.
There is seemingly no danger right now of Moyes getting sacked at Everton or him walking away from his position. But it does look like Carrick is done at United and that is going to give United a free run at Howe, which could end up being a missed opportunity for the Toffees.
From Goodison to the Ballon d’Or shortlist: Revisiting Tim Cahill’s remarkable 2006
Newcastle United v Everton
Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Tonight, the red carpet will be rolled out for football’s elite at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. Multi-million-pound PR machines will whir into gear, and the game’s superstars like Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal will all smile for the cameras. It all feels a million miles away from the current reality of Everton.
Yet 20 years ago, among the biggest names in world football, there was a familiar face for Evertonians: Tim Cahill.
No flashy Champions League winner’s medal. No corporate backing. Just a blue shirt, a number four on the back, and one of the finest vertical leaps the game has ever seen.
He was a hugely popular player at Goodison Park and in 2006, the Australian was something of a surprise inclusion on the shortlist of best players in the world at that time.
And we now look back on why he managed to make it.
Which former Everton player would you add to the current team, and why? 🤔 It has to be a striker, right?
Enough of these what if questions what bought going out next window and buying Tiago job sorted the Brazilian has got everything good in the air either foot don’t forget he scored a hat trick against us last season and then another two at there ground he’s just the ticket no matter what price
Lukaku at the same age, big dunc was great at his time but too many injuries for me….
Why Tim Cahill deserved his moment
When Tim Cahill arrived at Goodison Park from Millwall in the summer of 2004, few could have predicted just how important he’d become for Everton.
Signed for a relatively modest fee of about £2 million, he quickly established himself as a key figure in David Moyes’ side, bringing energy, relentless work rate and an impressive knack for arriving in the penalty area at exactly the right moment.
Cahill wasn’t someone who dominated possession to influence a game. His movement, aerial ability and eye for goal made him a constant threat, particularly when he arrived late in the box.
His nine Premier League goals in his debut season helped Everton to finish fourth and seal Champions League qualification. This cemented his status as one of Moyes’ most astute signings. By the time 2006 rolled around, Cahill became one of the defining figures of an Everton side that refused to be overlooked. In the 2005/06 season, he scored six and made three assists.
Cahill’s reputation grew further at the 2006 World Cup, where he helped Australia reach the knockout stages for the first time in 32 years. After coming off the bench against Japan, he scored twice in a dramatic 3-1 comeback win, becoming the first Aussie to score at a men’s World Cup.
His performances in Germany helped raise his profile internationally, adding another dimension to an already impressive period at Everton. Later that year, Cahill received recognition few Everton players had enjoyed for almost two decades.
Ballon d’Or shortlist
In October 2006, Cahill made the 50-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, seeing him rub shoulders with some of the biggest stars in the game.
Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane were among those in contention that year. Cahill didn’t actually receive any votes in the final ranking, but it was still a significant achievement.
It had been 18 years since an Everton player had featured on the shortlist. Legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall was the last to earn that recognition in 1988. For a club with Everton’s history and tradition, the wait was certainly a long one.
Cahill’s nomination was therefore about more than individual recognition. It was a genuine moment of pride for the Toffees, underlining the Australian’s growing reputation and putting an Everton player back among football’s elite.
Sadly, he remains the last Everton player to make the shortlist. The fact that no Toffees player has featured on the shortlist since only adds to the significance of Cahill’s achievement.
Cahill’s place in Everton folklore secure
20 years on, Cahill’s inclusion on the 2006 Ballon d’Or shortlist remains a reminder of a special period for Everton and a fitting acknowledgement of a player who gave everything for the shirt.
He may not have received a vote, but that was never really the point. To see an Everton midfielder recognised alongside the biggest names in world football, after 18 years without a Blue on the shortlist, was an achievement worth celebrating in its own right.
Cahill went on to become a Goodison Park cult hero, remembered for his goals, passion and unwavering commitment. The Ballon d’Or may have passed him by, but his place in Everton folklore was already secure.