Everton have employed several players who can be considered Premier League icons.
The Toffees had Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman marauding down the flanks at the same time, a duo some would consider to be the greatest full-back pairing in Premier League history.
The likes of Yakubu, Marouane Fellaini, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman have gone down as cult heroes in the Premier League too, while David Moyes has been a mainstay in the divisions for years as well.
Clint Dempsey can also lay claim to being a Premier League icon after netting 57 goals in 218 appearances for Fulham and Tottenham β although the American came very close to signing for Everton instead of the Cottagers when first arriving on these shores in 2007.
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Romelu Lukaku of Everton celebrates his goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Hull City and Everton
Credit: Getty Images/Alex Dodd β CameraSport/Alex Livesey/Jan Kruger.
Clint Dempsey says he almost joined Everton
The 43-year-old told Men In Blazers: βI was very close to moving to Everton. It was between Fulham and Everton. Both teams put in a bid and Fulham, I guess, put more money in and MLS (Major League Soccer) wanted me to go there.β
βI didnβt have a choice, right? I just wanted to play in the Premier League, but I just think things in life normally happen for a reason and push you in a direction and thatβs the way you go.β
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Dempsey went on to become a fan favourite at Craven Cottage, scoring 60 goals and providing 20 assists across 232 appearances in total, memorably netting a delightful chip in a 4-1 win over Juventus to send Fulham into the quarter-final of the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League.
Everton did eventually manage to sign a Major League Soccer star of their own in Landon Donovan β a known admirer of Moyes β who arrived on loan from LA Galaxy in 2010 and then again in 2012 after making a strong first impression.
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However, the American never had the longevity of Dempsey in English football, and the man born in Texas could well have become a Goodison Park hero had that move in 2007 materialised.
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