10 Boyhood Everton Fans The Club Should Have Signed

Sometimes, it’s just not meant to be. The stars fail to align and something that had seemed predestined fails to come to fruition. Joey Barton’s move back to Merseyside is one of those. In January 2007, David Moyes lodged a bid for the want away Man City midfielder, with Barton lamenting the club’s lack of ambition (if only he knew).

“Joey’s definitely going to have to move on and he is in big demand. Joey is an Evertonian. All his family support Everton. They are sitting fifth in the league and looking good. There is a £5.5 million clause in his contract and Manchester City are happy to take £5.5 million.” - Willie McKay, January 2007.

After the bid was rebuffed, Barton was forced to stay with the club until Newcastle picked him up in the summer. The late-night scuffle with a teenager outside McDonald’s that would ensue later in the year was apparently instigated by said youths hurling insults at Barton for not signing for the Toffees in January. Barton would eventually be jailed for the brawl.

In July 2013, and with Roberto Martinez having succeeded the departed Moyes, Everton returned for Barton - now at QPR - and with the Huyton-born midfielder keen to return home, a deal looked to be in place.

“Joey said there was only one club he would make a sacrifice for and it would be Everton and I made that call to Martinez. That is the club he loves. I have approached them and said Joey would love to have Everton on his CV. Fair play to him - he said he would lose money to go to Everton - and not many professionals would do that.” - Willie McKay, July 2013.

The one that got away?