EXCLUSIVE: Paul Gascoigne offers his thoughts on his former club Everton, including the new stadium move and Jarrad Branthwaite’s rise
Football legend Paul Gascoigne believes the move to the new stadium can prove the beginning of a bright new dawn for Everton while also tipping Jarrad Branthwaite to become a potential £100million player. Following the 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, the Blues host neighbours Liverpool in the last ever Merseyside Derby in the Premier League at Goodison Park on Saturday ahead of relocating to their 52,888 capacity future home at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
Gascoigne, who came to Everton a decade on from his World Cup heroics for England at Italia ‘90, playing 38 matches between 2000-02, reckons the move from the country’s first purpose-built football ground to what has already become an iconic building on the Mersey waterfront, can help revive his former club’s fortunes.
He exclusively told the ECHO, via cardplayer.com: “I think it’s a new start, fresh start.” Many people benefit from a fresh start, so give them some cash and start spending it.
“When West Ham received that new, large stadium, I guess that was the only one about which I was concerned. These guys were accustomed to performing in smaller stadiums with a lot of people standing on top of them, but suddenly things are different.
Jarrad Branthwaite, Everton’s breakout star from the previous season, is one of the players they hope will play a part in that comeback. On June 3, he earned his maiden England cap against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite struggling against Manchester United in the Blues’ 4-0 loss at Old Trafford on Sunday, the centre-back, who had two bids rejected by the team over the summer, was back to his best to assist his team keep a clean sheet against Wolves.
Gascoigne worries Everton might not be able to say no if a suitor was willing to make ‘The Carlisle Kaiser’ the third English player to command a nine-figure fee after Declan Rice moved from West Ham United to Arsenal and Jack Grealish moved from Aston Villa to Manchester City. This is despite the fact that Goodison Park officials were able to reject United’s two offers during the most recent transfer window, which were understood to be £35 million plus add-ons and then £45 million plus add-ons.
“Jarrad is unquestionably a good player,” he stated. He is powerful.
He is skilled at using the ball. He will make an excellent player.
“The problem is, if Everton haven’t got money, if someone comes in and offers them £100m, Everton’s not going to turn it down. That’s the problem these teams have with quality players, it’s keeping a hold of them, because you’ve got no chance, with the money going on and if a player’s got a year left, and someone’s offering them £30,000 or £250,000 a week, you’re going for the £250,000.”
Gascoigne was 33 when he signed for Everton and while he only found the net once in a 2-2 draw at the Reebok Stadium on November 3, 2001, he has vivid memories of being involved in some bruising Merseyside Derby encounters of his own. He said: “I just did a venue up there in Liverpool. A few fans came up and saw me. “When I joined Everton, I’d had enough of football. But when I went there, I was still getting man-of-the-matches for them.
“I hadn’t scored in a long time when I did. It was away at Bolton, and I was ecstatic when I scored.
“I was like, ‘Oh no!’ when I saw it was the Bolton supporters as I rushed behind the goal and celebrated in the direction of them. I turned around and approached the Everton supporters.
“I think I played in a couple of derbies, and I had a good time at Everton.” In one of them, Steven Gerrard scored, and he was incredible.
I did, however, give him an elbow, bless him. He’s such a kind person, so I felt ashamed when he got a black eye.
“I always reassure him that I didn’t mean it when I see him because he wrote in his book and told everyone that Gazza gave him an elbow. However, I did enjoy my time at Everton.
One of the 57-year-old’s favourite moments in a royal blue jersey was rolling back the years with a stunning FA Cup display against Leyton Orient but it’s some of the high jinx he used to get up to with the people that work at the club that he recalls most fondly from his time on Merseyside. Gascoigne said: “I remember how I turned it on in the cup game, but we didn’t play a big team. It was a third division team, and we battered them (4-1 in a fourth round tie on January 26, 2002).
I’m referring to my memories because I used to enjoy head tennis and would get at work at eight in the morning. We would start training at ten in the morning, but I would stay in until about half past eight because I would challenge the ground crew to head tennis while wearing their wellies!
“They used to beat us. They’d drive me nuts, and then sometimes I’d get wound up, that wound up, I wouldn’t play them. “So, the staff are unbelievable. I really got on well with them, they were brilliant. “It was the way they treated you, and I treated them like they were one of us. But yeah, I had some great times there.”
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