Alan Shearer in a circular inset, Gary Linker during a YouTube video.
(Credit: The Rest Is Football YouTube channel)
Niall Togher
Mon 25 August 2025 19:10, UK
Everton managed to record their first win of the new Premier League campaign over the weekend.
Goals from Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner ensured the Toffees got off to a winning start at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Jack Grealish made a massive impact on his Everton debut as David Moyes’ side looked like a completely different one that suffered a 1-0 defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road
However, Gary Lineker could not resist having a pop at Everton’s new state-of-the-art ground.
Everton manager David Moyes smiling.
Moyes will be thrilled after picking up three points against Brighton (Credit: Imago)
Gary Lineker’s Hill Dickinson joke anything but funny
After Goodison Park was a fortress for so many years, it was reassuring for Everton supporters that they could still make their voices heard and be the 12th man in their new home.
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Supporters will be hoping their home form will be the catalyst for a memorable first season in their new stadium under Moyes, as the Blues now boast an impressive collection of attacking players.
Supporters will have been less than impressed, however, when they heard Lineker’s comments on the Hill Dickinson Stadium when speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“The name of the ground amuses me,” the former Everton striker said while laughing. “The Hill Dickinson Stadium, a firm of lawyers or something.”
“I thought they’d made two signings. I thought they’d bought Jimmy Hill and somebody Dickinson,” Linker said as he struggled to produce a second name whilst his co-host Alan Shearer laughed.
Whilst Lineker has been wildly successful since his retirement after getting into broadcasting and punditry, this was far from the England international’s finest moment.
Read more: Everton plot shock move for ‘maverick’ West Ham star, David Moyes is an ‘admirer’
Gary Lineker full of praise for Jordan Pickford
After Lineker gave up on his painfully unfunny joke, he provided some quality analysis on Pickford, who was spectacular against Brighton.
“What a good goalkeeper, so consistent, there always used to be doubts because he was a little bit hot-headed at times, but there’s a calmness, there’s an authority, there’s a confidence about him these days,” Lineker said.
Pickford stats against Brighton:
Saves – 4
Penalties saved – 1
Saves from inside the box – 2
Goals prevented – 1.54
The 31-year-old has been a tremendous servant for the Toffees over the years, and given James Trafford’s high-profile mistake for Manchester City over the weekend, Pickford’s spot as England’s number one does not seem to be under any threat anytime soon.
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