Everton fans bid an emotional farewell to Goodison Park on Sunday – and tributes and messages from former players have been pouring in.
The Toffees will now leave the ground they played at for the last 133 years and move to the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which has been named the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It’s a bittersweet period for Evertonians.
There is huge excitement about the move to a world-class new stadium.
But there is also sadness about leaving Goodison Park, which is undoubtedly one of the most iconic grounds in English football.
It has been fantastic to see so many former players acknowledging Goodison. Everton fans particularly loved Richarlison posting about Goodison, amid reports the club may try to re-sign him this summer.
Romelu Lukaku also sent a classy message to Everton fans over Goodison, stating that he hopes the club win a trophy soon.
And even James Rodriguez has now posted about it on social media.
James Rodriguez sends message about Goodison Park
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus
Goodison has played host to some amazing talents over the years.
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And it still doesn’t really feel real that James Rodriguez was once an Everton player and called Goodison Park his home.
The Colombia international joined the club on a free transfer ahead of the 2020/21 season, which saw him reunite with Carlo Ancelotti.
Rodriguez initially wowed for Everton, but couldn’t sustain his form throughout the whole campaign. He left after just one term, joining Al-Rayyan in Qatar.
Despite only playing for Everton for one season, Goodison Park clearly left a lasting impression on the South American.
This evening, the former Toffee took to Instagram to post about the ground he used to play at, telling his 53 million followers: “Thank you, Evertonians, for all the love and support. Playing at Goodison Park was unforgettable. Once a Blue, always a Blue!” @everton.”
Goodison Park is special
It was only really a fleeting visit in the end for Rodriguez at Everton.
But he still felt compelled to post about Goodison, and that clearly shows just what a special place it is.
James Rodriguez for Everton in 2020/21
Appearances – 26
Minutes played –
Goals – 6
Assists – 9
Rodriguez – who now plays for Mexican outfit Club Leon – is a very high profile star who left the club quite a while ago now. So it’s great to see him still taking the time to pay tribute.
Hopefully, Everton will, over time, turn the new Hill Dickinson stadium into a place that is just as special as Goodison.