Retired boxer and lifelong Evertonian Tony Bellew has his say on the Blues ahead of the 2025/26 season, their first at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Tony Bellew while hosting the 'End of an Era' ceremony following Everton's final game at Goodison Park
Tony Bellew while hosting the 'End of an Era' ceremony following Everton's final game at Goodison Park
Everton fan Tony Bellew believes the team’s defensive spine can lead them into a bright new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium under David Moyes while hailing the Blues’ attacking “revelation.” The 42-year-old Scouser was a professional boxer between 2007-18 and held the WBC Cruiserweight title from 2016-17.
Speaking courtesy of esportsinsider.com, when it came to picking his favourite current Everton player, Bellew told the ECHO: “My son looks up to Jordan Pickford like he’s Jesus Christ. But I can see why, if Pickford wasn’t at Everton these last few seasons, we would have been relegated.
“He’s been the difference, he really has. James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, both are huge reasons why Everton remained in the Premier League.
“No English defender has more clean sheets than Tarkowski and Branthwaite over the last two seasons. Tarkowski had double the amount of clean sheets than the nearest English defender to him.
Tarkowski has been an absolute revelation. Jarrad’s an absolute revelation.
It’s a travesty that he didn’t go to the Euros last year. Absolute madness, a left-footed centre half was massively needed and Tarkowski is just a warrior of a defender.”
‘Bomber’ has also backed David Moyes to get it right in the transfer window this summer despite the Blues boss’ public concerns during the USA tour that he would have expected to have made more signings by now. He said: “I think there's loads of names that we're linked with, and I think the gaffer has already pointed out he tried to get some really top players in. Everton Football Club is a huge club.
“We’re one of the top six clubs in the league. We’ve got a rich history.
“Everton are far too big to go down. That’s a saying that can be scary at times when we’ve seen the likes of Newcastle go down, Nottingham Forest go down, West Ham go down.
“It can happen, but I just feel with David Moyes at the helm and the right people in charge, we’ll be fine. It’s a brilliant set of people who understand and know football.
“This is not some man coming in with a load of money and hasn't got a clue what he's doing. They understand the game.
“They invest in the right areas. They appoint the correct football people and appoint the people in charge of the club.
“The club is being run efficiently now and properly. It's sustainable and that is the most important thing.”
Indeed, Bellew reveals that he was delighted to see Moyes, who steered the Blues to nine top-eight finishes during his first spell in charge between 2002-13, including their highest ever Premier League position of 2004/05, return to Goodison Park in January. He said: “The gaffer is an absolute legend. I’m so happy he's back at the club.
“I was praying and begging for him to come back for many years, he’d been lined up on numerous occasions. But the fools that were running the club in the past just stopped that from happening.
“The late chairman Bill Kenwright always wanted him back, but as I said, the people didn't want him back. So, I'm just happy he's back.
“He is the right man. He understands Everton Football Club, what we're about, where we're going, what we can do.
“I said we're a bit short on numbers at the minute. A fair few have gone out the door.
“There's some new players that look really good. Keeping Jarrad Branthwaite was huge.
“There’s plenty of guys still there and Iliman Ndiaye is a revelation. Believe you me, as long as we have him, we’re always going to have good options in attack.
“There's so many good things that we've got going forward, but the squad is very thin. Injuries could really hurt us.”
Like most Evertonians, Bellew, who was one of the hosts for the ‘End of an Era’ ceremony after the 2-0 win over Southampton in Goodison Park’s final Premier League fixture, is thrilled by the prospect of relocating to their new 52,769 capacity home on the Mersey waterfront later this month. He said: “The move to the new stadium does excite me. It looks amazing, my season tickets are purchased, so that's all done, it'll be amazing.
“The squad's a little bit thin, but the most important thing is, the right man’s in charge.”