Everton

England winger Jack Grealish, 29, has agreed to join Everton on loan from Manchester City. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pre-season is completed and the countdown to the 2025-26 season is on.

It's been a quiet summer at Everton, although the signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall this week may have helped David Moyes' mood.

The Blues start the season at Leeds a week on Monday - but do you feel they are ready?

Get in touch

Image source, Getty Images

Everton concluded their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 defeat against Roma in the first full capacity match at the Hill Dickinson stadium.

Matias Soule scored the only goal of the game in the 70th minute in front of more than 50,000 fans at Everton's new home.

Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made his debut for the Blues, while Jarrad Branthwaite returned to action after missing the Premier League summer series in the USA with injury.

The result ensures David Moyes' side secured two draws and four losses from six summer friendlies.

They begin the new Premier League season a week on Monday against newly promoted Leeds United at Elland Road

You have been sharing your stories and photos about why you love Everton.

Here is a final selection of your submissions, but do make sure you scroll down this page to see all the best responses from throughout the week:

Allan: It was fate and history that led me to Everton.

My Mum used to collect silver paper for the blind on match days in the 1930s and her uncle was Dixie Dean's best man. My dad was my hero and when he told me at 2-0 down in the cup final not to be upset and that we would win, a love and belief that Everton were my club began.

That was 14 May 1966.

Many players and managers have come and gone since then but the belief that we the fans could play our part has always remained. Everton is our club.

Colin: In 1951 at Christmas time, my dad took me to his parents house on Dane St, very close to Goodison. He left me with my grandparents while he went for a 'pint' with his old pals in the Winslow.

He had to pass Goodison on his way home with me in his arms but he couldn't resist going into the match that had just kicked off. There I was, one year old in my dad's arms inside a crowded Goodison. The fans made space for us and I've been a Blue ever since.

Aston Villa have rejected an £18m offer from Everton for Scotland midfielder John McGinn, 30, who is also attracting interest from Newcastle. (Sky Sports News), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos about why you fell in love with Everton.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Michael: I went to Liverpool with my family once when I was about five or six years old. We went to see both stadiums. Liverpool had their side gates open - I could see the pitch glowing green and it looked magical. I asked a groundsman if I could have a quick look in. They answered no, unfortunately. My dreams were shattered.

We walked over Stanley Park to Goodison. They also had their gates open. It looked amazing, the green grass, blue seats and iconic white pillars. Someone by the gate in a yellow hi-vis was on site. I asked once again if I could go in, expecting a no but God loves a trier. He replied with: "Of course, mate, just don't go on the grass!" I remember looking back at my mum as I was walking around and saying: "I want to support Everton, mum! These are nice!"

Some 31 years later and we won't play again at the ground - but the memories will always live on.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Everton and David Moyes see Jack Grealish as a player who can add to their attacking impetus.

Grealish was a consistent performer at Aston Villa and at Manchester City during his first two seasons, but he has lost his way.

He needs - and his career needs - invigorating.

I have spent time with Moyes over the years and I think he would be the perfect person to get the best out of him.

Grealish needs to be loved and Moyes, in his own way, will show him the support that he craves to get his career back on track.

His talent is undoubted so there is widespread hope he can get back to those levels.

England boss Thomas Tuchel is a huge fan of him and would see him as a starter in his team if playing on a regular basis.

There is less than a year until the World Cup and Grealish will want to be part of that quad so that is added motivation for him.

But there is still work to be done between him and Everton because of how they navigate his reported £300k-a-week wages.

That will be the biggest stumbling block.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs

When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.

And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.

"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.

"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.

"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.

"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.

"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."

A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.

But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.

"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.

"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."

As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?

"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.

"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.

"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."

Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.

And check out those from other Premier League teams over here

Image source, Getty Images

Everton remain in negotiations for Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, who is reportedly not taking part in contact training at St Mary's in order to protect himself for any potential move, although the clubs are yet to agree on a fee.

Everton's current record signing is the £45m they paid for Gylfi Sigurdsson in 2017 and they could exceed this figure to secure Dibling's services. Former Saints boss Russell Martin believes he would be worth every penny.

Martin coached James Maddison and Harry Kane in their early careers and he told The Rest is Football podcast, external thatrates Dibling even more highly.

"When I was there I had to play it down a lot and not make things more difficult for him," Martin said, "but he is the most talented player I've ever worked with.

"Seeing him on the training pitch, seeing him live, Tyler has every capability to play for England and at the top level for a very long time.

Martin highlighted Dibling's versatility, noting he can play at eight, 10, as a false nine or on the wing for any new club.

"He's powerful, he's really quick and [uses] both feet. Physically, the stuff I've seen him do at 18 in the Premier League, with people just bouncing him off him and being put on the floor when he dribbles, he has something I've not seen in a British player for some time."

Everton have opened talks over a deal to bring in England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish, 29, from Manchester City. (Sky Sports), external

Nottingham Forest are closing in on a deal to sign 27-year-old Douglas Luiz from Juventus but Everton are also interested in the Brazil midfielders and could look at a loan with an option or obligation to buy. (Mail), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

We asked what you made of Everton's signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea in a deal worth about £28m.

Here are some of your comments:

Gregg: Very pleased with Kiernan's arrival. A great, creative, box-to-box midfielder with his best years ahead of him. Just what we needed. Will play well under David Moyes. Good value for money as well. Looking forward to watching him play in our new stadium.

Dean: Like most players, I believe he will be much better than we have seen with regular game time. In the games he has played at Chelsea, he has looked composed and able to control a game, which has been lacking from the Everton midfield in recent years.

Wayne: This move has the word potential written all over it. KDH has the potential to be a dark horse for the England World Cup squad if he hits the ground running. A transfer that could rank in the Tim Cahill bracket of good signings. KDH and James Garner could be a midfield handful for anyone. I see this as a positive signing.

Keith: One of the best signings of this transfer window of any club - particularly at that price. He is a proven player with good experience, and the perfect fit for an Everton side managed by Moyes. Very excited.

Duncan: He is a good addition to the middle of the park, but I can't help but notice we have literally nobody at right wing and two right-backs who aren't exactly reliable, for very different reasons. It is nice to have him as long as it doesn't affect reinforcements on the right.

Paul: A great signing for Everton and a steal for the price we paid. He is a really good player who will only get better. Hopefully he will get a few more new team-mates in the coming few weeks too.

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Everton.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Jack: My dad was a rugby league fan, so from an early age he would take me to watch Keighley Cougars. Then one weeken,d my uncle ,who was a passionate Evertonian, took me to Turf Moor to see Burnley play Everton. That was in 1966. From that moment on, I was hooked and thankfully, my uncle, who lived near Goodison, came and took me to most home games. In the 20 years we went together, we saw the most successful period in the club's history. Thanks, Uncle Ken.

Edward: I went to Gwladys Street Infants and Juniors in the Sixties and lived in Gwladys Street. Played football in the streets around Goodison. Had to be a Toffee. From being only yards away to being 100 miles but still a season-ticket owner.

Send us your pictures and stories

Image source, Getty Images

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has spoken of his excitement and motivation after sealing a move to Everton from Chelsea, becoming one of David Moyes' standout signings of the summer window.

The 26-year-old midfielder arrives on a five-year contract having featured mostly in cup competitions and struggled for consistent game time at Stamford Bridge.

Dewsbury-Hall - who has cost an initial £24m, with a further £3-4m due in add-ons - told Everton TV:, external "I'm so, so excited to get started. Just sitting here in the stadium, it's unbelievable.

"There's a real buzz about this. It feels right for me. So just that alone gives me the motivation and the extra determination to show everybody - to prove a point - and have a really successful time here.

"Everton's one of the biggest clubs in the country, and I think that in the next couple of years the future is going to be bright. It was an easy decision in the end to come here.

"The fanbase is one of the most passionate in the country, so I know if we start playing well and I start showing the fans what I'm about, it's going to be a big, big bonus to help me and the team show our best."

The Leicester City academy graduate is Everton's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Charly Alcaraz, Thierno Barry, Mark Travers and Adam Aznou.

So what do you make of Dewsbury-Hall's signing? Are you happy he will improve the team? And what's needed next in the transfer market?

Get in touch with your thoughts here

Opta's Supercomputer has once again predicted the upcoming 2025-26 Premier League season by using a model to simulate every match 10,000 times.

Image source, Opta

Manchester United only reach the Champions League in 6.7% of simulations, while Thomas Frank's new-look Tottenham only do so in 5.7%. These numbers will obviously largely be based on their underperformance last time around.

Both are therefore predicted a mid-table finish.

However, United are also relegated in 11.1% of simulations, meaning currently Opta's computer suggests they are more likely to go down than make the top four.

Both Everton and Fulham are both predicted to have slightly disappointing seasons with lower mid-table finishes simulated most often by the Supercomputer.

The latter had a productive 2024-25 campaign so may not be happy by 14.8% of simulations having them as relegated.

For the Blues' first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, David Moyes' side are relegation in 12.5% of the computer's simulations.

Read Opta's full Supercomputer breakdown here, external

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Leicester's Foxes commentator Owynn Palmer-Atkin says Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will be a smart addition to Everton this summer.

On Monday, it emerged Everton had agreed a £28m deal to sign the 26-year-old from Chelsea.

Having watched the 26-year-old come through the ranks to play a key role for Leicester City in their title-winning Championship campaign two seasons ago, Palmer-Atkin told BBC Radio Merseyside the midfielder will bring consistency and leadership to David Moyes' side.

"I think Everton are getting a really good midfielder," he said. "Dewsbury-Hall was a talismanic figure in that Leicester side. The season they were able to win the Championship almost a personal vendetta campaign.

"He is unique with his work rate and the way he manoeuvres around the pitch. He is quite old school but has got the technical ability to match as well.

I think Everton are getting a really good player who, perhaps most importantly, is Premier League-ready."

Listen on BBC Sounds

We know the relationship between a football fan and their club is a special one so, as we gear up for the new season, we asked you to share why you fell in love with Everton and some of your favourite moments supporting them.

Here are some of your submissions:

Eliza: I was born Blue because my parents met on an Everton fanpage. I had an account made for me the very day I was born. While it has been disappointing to see how the club has declined, I could never stray from my roots.

Send your pictures and stories here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

'Why did you fall in love with your club?'

This week, we have asked hundreds of football fans across the world that very question and got hundreds of different answers.

Yes, the themes might be similar - born near a ground; family supported the team; watched a certain player - but the individual story will be unique to each supporter.

The relationship between a fan and their club should not be underestimated, with people ploughing uncountable amounts of money, time and emotional energy into their support for their team.

But what is that makes us love our clubs the way we do?

"A lot of it comes down to our identity," researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs told BBC Sport.

"We become part of this group that means so much to us. It becomes a way to find a community that you're a part of and to find a group of people that, no matter where you are, you could find a pub with other fans of your team. You have that kinship.

"In a world that's increasingly quite lonely, this provides one of the ways that we can have connections so we can have the feeling that we're part of something bigger."

Connection and identity plays a big role in someone's love for their club - particularly when it is a family link.

Many fans talk of being born into who they support - that the connection is so strong there was no other team they could, or would, have chosen.

"The great thing with football is that there's such a strong heritage component to it," Sarver Coombs said. "Often, your grandfather, father, mother or whomever was a fan of the team, so it's part of your family's tradition.

"It's handed down from generation to generation."

The uniqueness of football fandom is something researchers are increasingly investigating.

An article, external published earlier this year in psychology journal Frontiers discusses how football fans often follow follow teams with 'significant attachment and commitment, sometimes to the bewilderment of those outside of the game'.

"With football clubs, you have decades of tradition that you can tap into and it's going to keep coming," Sarver Coombs added.

"Players come and go, managers come and go, shirts change, badges change, but the club itself - the heart and soul of it remains constant. You always have that piece that you're tied to, so the longevity of clubs is a really important part.

"But also, that constant in-person opportunity to be present in a community space really sets football apart from other passions that may be transient or do not have that constant engagement."

Share your story in our My Club My Passion campaign