Everton

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts on BBC Sport's Phil McNulty's ranked list of Everton's hardest players.

Here are some of your comments:

Michael: Your choice is very good but Jimmy Gabriel could hold his own among them.

John: Can't really argue with the list as there is an element of subjectivity, but Roger Kenyon, Mike Bernard, Mike Pejic, Mike Lyons, Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp all have claims to be on the list. Johnny Morrissey is almost certainly top though, just above Duncan Ferguson.

Richard: I first saw Johnny Morrissey play for England schoolboys at Goodison Park, talking about hard men , what about Tony Kay?

Dave: Bruce Rioch was pretty tasty - I remember Graeme Souness, Boro's hard man, being stretchered off after a clash with Brucie!

Michael: Absolutely brilliant series - I always loved Jimmy Gabriel. All fabulous legends, cheers Phil.

Colin: Nobody took liberties with Johnny Morrissey. Rumour has it that he never lost a five-a-side match in training because the rest were too scared to go near him. I suspect he wouldn't still be on the pitch at half-time if he was playing now. Nevertheless, he was a wonderful player especially in the 1969-70 Championship winning team.

Paul: 'Psycho' Pat van den Hauwe must be up there. If I remember rightly Kendall said "we've signed him because he plays a hard game within the rules". Then he got a red and three yellow cards in his first five games!

David: What about Sandy Brown? He was the tastiest of them all. He would challenge anybody. I once saw him offer the ball to a Liverpool fan on the Kop to come and take it off him. Brilliant.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Throughout Wednesday, BBC Sport's Phil McNulty has ranked the hardest men to play for Everton.

And in top spot...

Johnny Morrissey

Morrissey was signed by Everton from Liverpool in 1962 for £10,000. It was a deal done without Reds manager Bill Shankly's knowledge, and he was so enraged that he vowed never to let such an incident happen again.

And Shankly's admiration for this tough, but very talented, winger was confirmed in a decade at Everton in which he played in two title-winning sides.

He figured in 1962-63, but more memorably and prominently when he stood out - even among the greats of Alan Ball, Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall - in the 1969-70 triumph, his crosses a rich source of supply for the young Joe Royle.

Morrissey was beloved among Everton fans, who worshipped both his great ability and his attitude. He still cut a sprightly figure at Goodison Park, at 85, when he was part of the parade of former players at the final men's game at the stadium in May.

In the wider game, Morrissey had a reputation as a hard-as-nails character who was not to be trifled with at any time - a winger happy to give any full-back taking liberties a taste of their own medicine.

Liverpool's famous 'Anfield Iron' Tommy Smith admitted even he was wary of Morrissey, while former colleague Kendall said Ball's advice to him on his first day at Everton was: "Never take the ball off Johnny Morrissey in training."

Leeds United were the template for the hard teams of that era, but Morrissey used to send a shudder through that battle-hardened Elland Road dressing room, his running battles with Jack Charlton the stuff of legend.

John Giles, no shrinking violet in the physical exchanges, wrote in his book how he could look after himself "like Peter Osgood did, like Mike Summerbee did, like Johnny Morrissey did - well OK, maybe not quite like Johnny".

Scroll down to 14:53 BST for Duncan Ferguson and Peter Reid in second and third, and 08:33 for Kevin Ratcliffe and Pat van den Hauwe in fourth and fifth.

Now it's over to you. Do you agree with Phil's selections?

Tell us who should be on the list

Image source, Getty Images

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Every club has had a hard man - often adored by fans - but who is the ultimate tough operator in Everton's history? Chief football writer Phil McNulty is going through his top five on this page on Wednesday.

In second spot (scroll down to the post below for third place, and to 08:33 BST for fourth and fifth)...

Duncan Ferguson

'Big Dunc', the idol of Goodison Park, was the anti-hero Everton fans needed and loved when he arrived, initially on loan, from Rangers in late 1994.

Ferguson had the ability to strike terror into defenders, with then manager Joe Royle recalling his first match in charge being illuminated by the Scot, who was fired up after a foul by Liverpool's Neil Ruddock. He subsequently terrorised Liverpool's defence, something he made a habit of throughout his Everton career, by scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win.

No-one took any liberties with Ferguson, with even some of the game's hardest figures making it their business not to cross him. Paul Ince, then Liverpool captain, was virtually picked up and thrown to the floor in another Merseyside derby at Anfield, "The Guv'nor" responding by gently ruffling Ferguson's hair in a friendly manner.

Ferguson's approach often edged into ill-discipline, with eight red cards in the Premier League - but there was also great ability to go with the fierce physical presence.

And, of course, Ferguson's reputation spread off the field. He served time in the notorious Barlinnie jail, and has told the story of how two burglars made the error of breaking into his house in the early hours while he was there with his family – and how they came off worse.

Who will top McNulty's list? Come back later on Wednesday to find out and have your say.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Dave Watson? Thomas Gravesen? Martin Keown? Who is the ultimate Everton hard man? Phil McNulty has been revealing his top five on Wednesday.

In third spot...

Peter Reid

Peter Reid was Everton's great midfield general, the master of dictating tempo and the engine of the great mid-80s team in partnership with the vastly underrated (although not by anyone at Goodison Park) Paul Bracewell.

Reid was courage personified, not simply in the manner in which he battled back from career-threatening injuries, but in his fearless approach on the pitch. No battle was too intense for the hugely popular Huyton-born Reid, who revelled in an era when no quarter was given in midfield.

He would stand toe-to-toe with Graeme Souness at Liverpool, Norman Whiteside and Bryan Robson at Manchester United, who all had total respect for Reid, both as an opponent and a personality. There is no doubt at times he took on the role of Everton's enforcer.

A boyhood Red, Reid joyously tells the tale of how he was being verbally abused by a Liverpool fan at Anfield after fouling John Barnes - only to find the supporter in question was his Uncle Albert.

Reid was so much more than a hard man, as his success with Everton and England proves, but he also had that cutting edge required in what was hostile midfield territory in the 1980s.

And come back in a few hours to see who McNulty has at the top of his list, plus the chance to have your say on who should have made the cut.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts on Jarrad Branthwaite signing a five-year contract extension at Everton.

It is fair to say you are delighted...

Stephen: Hopefully, this shows we don't have to sell our best players to survive financially. This is a massive statement of intent. He is a key player that we need to keep and continue to develop. Future captain!

Tom: I'm very glad we kept a talent like Jarrad - he is one of my favourite players in this Everton team and brings confidence to the defence. He drives the team on and on, and I think he should be captain when Seamus Coleman leaves.

Spider: It's a massive signing. He's the best English centre-half in the country, and he's committed his future to Everton. A big relief!

Dennis: This is absolutely fantastic news. It shows every other club you can no longer come and take our best players.

Mike: I doubt any new signings this summer will be as important as Branthwaite signing a new contract. He is the future. After years of gloom, there is finally real optimism for the new season - not just hoping for the best and expecting the worst. There'll probably be a buyout clause, but I'd imagine it's a significant sum.

Brendan: Best bit of transfer news we'll have this summer. A top class Rolls-Royce of a central defender - and one in the eye for Tottenham, who (laughably) seriously considered putting a bid in for him!

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Everton will have to do plenty of deals in the remainder of the transfer window with so many players leaving at the end of their contracts and the squad in urgent need of improvement.

Jarrad Branthwaite's decision to sign a new long-term deal will, however, rank alongside any business as the most significant of the summer.

The 23-year-old central defender has been outstanding in the last two seasons and the prospect of Branthwaite leaving was a hot topic of discussion among Everton fans.

The fact that he has agreed to stay is a major statement of intent by the club and also a reflection on the ambition of new owners, The Friedkin Group, who want to demonstrate this is a new era of ambition for Everton as they prepare to move into their new state-of-the-art stadium next season.

Image source, Getty Images

Jarrad Branthwaite says it was "quite an easy decision" to commit to a new five-year contract at Everton and that the club's ambition was a "huge" factor.

The 23-year-old defender - who joined from Carlisle United in 2020 - has put pen to paper on an agreement that ties him to the club until 2030.

"I'm over the moon," he told the club website.

"It's been something we've been talking about since the end of the season and to get it signed now is something I'm really excited about.

"The trust the club's put in me and how many games I've played over the past two seasons has made it quite an easy decision for me to stay and to keep progressing.

"I feel loved by the players – we've got a good group here – and the fans. Over the past few years, I've seen the impact the fans have on us as a team and how much it means to them.

"And, obviously, with the new stadium we've got here, the new ownership and the new manager, it's an exciting project and something I want to be part of."

• Tell us how you feel about Branthwaite's deal here

Branthwaite played 32 times for the Toffees last season in a campaign when the return of David Moyes as manager led to an upturn in form.

Moyes has backed Branthwaite to "have a huge role to play in an exciting new era".

Branthwaite continued: "I've been at Everton for five and a half years now and I've seen the change the club's had over the past six months.

"The ambition was a huge thing.

"The way the manager wants us to go as a team, what he wants us to do next season and where he wants us to challenge has had a big impact on the decision. You saw towards the end of last season as a team what we can do."

• Get news alerts about your Premier League club

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Throughout Wednesday, the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty will rank the hardest men to play for Everton. Drop in through the day to see who he selects and you'll also get the chance to state who should be on the list later.

In fourth spot (scroll down the page for who is in fifth)...

Kevin Ratcliffe

Some may be surprised by this choice, perhaps thinking Pat van den Hauwe (see below) might be the more obvious selection from Howard Kendall's great 1980s team, but Everton's most successful captain, who led them to two titles, the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup, was the man you would want alongside you in the heat of any battle.

Ratcliffe was an outstanding central defender, whose searing pace was essential to Everton's defensive set-up, as well as having every asset required in the position with his ability to read the game and sense danger.

He was also tough as teak and a natural leader. He was willing to let strikers know he was there, as his great friend and Wales team-mate Ian Rush often testifies.

Ratcliffe was a defender who had everything, including a ruthless streak that made him a winner and captain of a side full of strong characters, such as Peter Reid, Andy Gray and Neville Southall.

In a team with plenty of hard men, Ratcliffe - a defender of the highest class – has claims to be the hardest.

Come back later on Wednesday to see more of McNulty's selections.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Who is the hardest man to have worn the famous Everton blue? The BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty is running through his top five and you'll get the chance to submit your own later on Wednesday.

In fifth spot...

Pat van den Hauwe

Van den Hauwe arrived at Everton for a bargain £100,000 in September 1984 as part of the mass clear-out of the Birmingham City "bad boys" dressing room by then manager Ron Saunders.

The steely glare and brutal approach soon won over Everton fans, who christened the defender "Psycho Pat" before Stuart Pearce was given a similar nickname at Nottingham Forest.

He was a fine defender who won two titles and the European Cup Winners' Cup at Everton, mainly at full-back but also as a top-class central defender.

Van den Hauwe adopted a silent approach with the media, never giving interviews and meeting any rare - and it must be said ill-judged - request for a chat with a look that made it clear he would not be co-operating.

He may still be the only player to score a goal that won the title, in Everton's 1-0 win at Norwich City to clinch the league in 1986-87, and not be approached by the media for his thoughts on his heroics as everyone knew they would not be forthcoming.

Van den Hauwe's approach, and indeed his lifestyle which he later chronicled in his autobiography, became legendary among Everton supporters. He later went on to win the FA Cup at Tottenham Hotspur.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Everton were confident negotiations were advancing towards a successful conclusion on a three-year deal of their own for Fulham's Kenny Tete.

Manager David Moyes has made full-back one of his summer priorities after 39-year-old Ashley Young was not offered a new contract, despite veteran captain Seamus Coleman signing a one-year deal to take him into a 17th season at the club.

Tete had emerged as Everton's main target, but Moyes may now be forced to turn to alternatives that could include free agent Kyle Walker-Peters or Vladimir Coufal, his former right-back at West Ham.

Jake O'Brien, who was signed from Lyon as a central defender, performed consistently at right-back for Everton following Moyes' appointment in January, having been ignored by predecessor Sean Dyche, while Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has also been used.

Rangers striker Hamza Igamane is closing in on an agreement to join Ligue 1 side Lille after Everton and West Ham decided against pursuing the 22-year-old because they do not think he is ready for the Premier League. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham's Kenny Tete may yet remain at Craven Cottage to dash Everton's hopes of securing the Dutch right-back on a free transfer.

Everton were confident negotiations were advancing towards a successful conclusion on a three-year deal – but Fulham have also offered the 29-year-old a new contract and are hopeful he will now step back from moving to Merseyside.

Manager David Moyes has made the position one of his summer priorities after 39-year-old Ashley Young was not offered a new contract, and despite veteran captain Seamus Coleman signing a one-year deal to take him into a 17th season at the club.

Tete had emerged as Everton's main target, but manager David Moyes may yet be forced to turn to alternatives, which could include Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters or his former right-back at West Ham, Vladimir Coufal.

Jake O'Brien, who was signed from Lyon as a central defender, performed consistently at right-back for Everton following Moyes' appointment in January after being ignored by predecessor Sean Dyche, while Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has also been used.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Dominic Calvert-Lewin leaving Everton this summer and whether you wished he would have stayed.

Here are some of your comments:

Jack: I think it's best for both DCL and Everton that he moves on. He's not the player he was two or three years ago. His persistent injuries have not helped so, thank you for your time here and good luck in the future.

Tony: Although I appreciate his initial hard work and goals, his later years were more about his injuries than his goals and output. A team cannot progress with injury prone players. So with a heavy heart, we wish him all the best for the future.

Andy: Calvert-Lewin has done a job for the last few seasons but if we're going to escape the relegation battles, we need to find a striker who will deliver more and push us up the table. Shake hands and wish him the best.

Chris: It's a shame we couldn't hold on to him for one more season as a squad player with a generous contract until we could get a new striker.

Ian: DCL was offered a contract by Everton as were other players who have now left. You cannot keep offering top dollar salaries and extensive contracts when the player is unproductive, struggling for form and subject to numerous injuries. Good luck to DCL but in reality, it's his loss not Everton's.

Paul: I do like Dominic but it's time to move on, he just can't stay fit and score regular goals. We have to adapt and ask the rest of the squad to contribute to goals, it's how most teams play now and it's makes sense.

Jamie: His decision best suits all parties. Some really memorable headers at the Gwladys Street end but overall, he always struck me as a someone who played within himself. Almost as if he was scared of getting injured - again.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton stalwart Seamus Coleman has signed a one-year contract extension with the Merseyside club, setting the stage for his 17th season in the Premier League.

Speaking to BBC Merseyside, fan and Unholy Trinity Podcast contributor Mike Richards shared his thoughts on the extension, suggesting that while Coleman may not feature prominently on the pitch this season, his influence within the squad remains significant.

Richards also expressed his delight that Coleman will have the honour of captaining Everton as they move into their new home at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

"He didn't feature heavily at all last season; he had a few injuries along the way," Richards said. "I am sure that when he knows the time has come when he can't play Premier League football, he'd be the first one to call it a day. But obviously, he feels that he can.

"David Moyes has said how important his role is off the pitch and on it. We know he can still, on his day, put in a decent performance, and if he feels that he can still compete and can still play then who are we to argue? I am delighted personally that he is going to be the man to lead us into that new stadium."

Listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Dominic Calvert-Lewin says leaving Everton "isn't something I chose lightly" - but should the club have done more to keep hold of the striker?

The 28-year-old confirmed on Sunday he will become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the month.

"After nine remarkable years, I've made the incredibly difficult decision - together with my family - to begin a new chapter in my career," Calvert-Lewin, who scored 71 goals in 273 games after joining Everton from Sheffield United for £1.5m in 2016, posted on social media.

"This isn't something I chose lightly. Everton has been my home since I was 19 years old. It's the place that saw potential in me, challenged me to grow and shaped me both as a footballer and as a man.

"I want to express my gratitude to all the managers and coaches I've worked with over the years and to my team-mates who have become life-long friends."

Earlier in June, BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha said he thought Everton should retain Calvert-Lewin, but on reduced terms.

The former Manchester City defender added: "He is worth keeping for now because is there cover if Everton decide to let him go? Do they have someone who can fill those boots straight away?

"I do not think Calvert-Lewin himself, nor anyone at Everton, really expects him to be a guaranteed starter going forward.

"If the club can find a way to offer him a new deal - on a reduced wage and perhaps appearance-based clauses - then I would keep him as a squad player."

What do you think? Should the Blues have kept Calvert-Lewin rather than let him leave on a free? Do Everton need to sign a replacement - and, if so, who should they now target?

Get in touch with your thoughts here

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Everton are progressing in talks over a new contract with defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

The 23-year-old is regarded as an important part of the club's plans as they move into a new era at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Last summer, Manchester United had two bids rejected for the centre-half, the second of which was about £45m.

Club sources had said it would need a “mega” offer to even consider selling the player, who had been valued at £80m.

Branthwaite made 30 Premier League appearances to help the Toffees to finish 13th in the table and his current deal expires in 2027.

Image source, Getty Images

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire, speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside about whether Everton could sell their women's team to help with PSR rules: "There has been a new company which has been formed.

"Everton Football Club Women Limited has been in existence for over a decade, but it looks as if the new owners have set up a company which is linked to the women's team.

"Could it be that the current owners of Everton Football Club Women, which is Everton Football Club itself, could sell Everton FC Women to this new company which has been set up?

"You might say: 'Hold on, well surely that's just transferring things from the left hand to the right hand and overall we're no better off or there's no change?' But in the world of accounting it's very different.

"It could be this is being done for strategic, planning or tax reasons - or lots of other things.

"On the basis that Chelsea's women's team was sold for 20 times the amount of revenue it generated, if you take a look at the most recent accounts for Everton's women's team, that means you could probably sell that football club for somewhere in the region of £60-65m and if that was the case that would be pure profit - which goes into your PSR budget and would enhance the ability of Everton to compete in the transfer market."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Everton captain Seamus Coleman has signed a new one-year contract, keeping him at the club until July 2026.

The 26-year-old right-back will enter his 17th season with the Blues and holds the club record of 369 Premier League appearances.

It is his ninth contract with Everton.

Coleman told the club's official website: "I love Everton so to continue playing for this special club means everything to me and my family.

"Like every one of our passionate fans, I've lived and breathed what has been a difficult past few years for the club and have put my heart and soul into doing all I can to help us get through it.

"Thanks to the hard work of many people, we've been able to get into our magnificent new stadium and pave the way for a brighter future under ambitious new owners, which I want to be part of."

Amid rumours Sean Dyche might move to King Power Stadium this summer, Leicester are plotting a move to sign Everton defender Michael Keane on a free transfer when his contract expires later this month. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport