We rate the best three Everton players in the Premier League era

ONLY six clubs have the honour to say that they have contested in every Premier League season, Everton being one of them.

During their successful years, the Toffees have had some talented players representing the Merseyside club, particularly the three mentioned below.

Tim Cahill is perhaps the player that stands out the most. His record of 68 goals in 278 appearances is quite impressive and Cahill probably never got the recognition he deserved.

This was because he played in an era when Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were at their peak and were seen as the best goalscoring midfielders in the league.

Cahill spent eight years at the club and was pivotal in Everton’s transition from being a relegation threatened team to a club finishing in the European places.

He had the knack, like all good goal scoring midfielders, of arriving in the box at the perfect time and it’s hard to think of another player that was as good as the Australian at scoring headed goals. He was a player Evertonians adored because of his never- say-die attitude.

Surprise...

The only surprise is that the Australian never made that next step in his career and moved to a club to a bigger club.

Mikel Arteta arrived on-loan at the club in 2005 having previously impressed during his first spell in British football. The Spaniard spent two seasons in the Scottish league with Rangers before returning to Spain to join Real Sociedad. 

He was seen as a magician by Everton fans and was the player that controlled the game for them. He was the creator in the team that Everton had lacked for so many years. He won the club’s player of the season in two successive seasons in 2006 and 2007. Unlike, Cahill, Arteta did leave the club for bigger and better things, deservingly earning a move to Arsenal.

After 12 years at the club, Phil Jagielka left Everton to return to Sheffield United last summer. In truth, Everton have tried to cope without the aging defender for the past few seasons and have never managed to find a replacement that brought the reliability that Jagielka brought to the team.

Initially used as a midfielder by the club, the former England international’s career took off when he slotted into defence. Although, he was an excellent defender for Everton, Jagielka will be remembered most by Toffee supporters for his stunning late goal in a Merseyside Derby against Liverpool.