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Nos 60-40

Top 60 Everton Players: #40. Jack Sharp

January 6, 2010
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40. Jack Sharp (1900-09) 342 appearances, 80 goals Born in Hereford in 1878 Sharp was a lightning-fast and exciting outside right who represented England at cricket and football, he played 342 games for Everton and went on to be a director at Goodison. Jack bagged three league championship runners-up medals, one FA Cup runners up medal and lifted the FA Cup in 1906 when Everton beat Newcastle United 1-0 at Crystal Palace. A superb cricketer he hit 38 hundreds for his beloved Lancashire and, in 1909, also managed to crowbar three Test matches against Australia into his career, scoring 105 at the Oval.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #41. Mikel Arteta

January 5, 2010
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Top 60 Everton Players: #41. Mikel Arteta

41. Mikel Arteta (2005-present) Our current midfield laureate, Arteta has feet like Rory Delap’s arms and more importantly, a sharp footballing brain. His  ruthless combination of power and technique led to a series of unstoppable free kicks last season. Ostensibly brought in as Thomas Gravesen’s replacement – Arteta has gone on to outshine the Dane. No diver, Arteta is instead equipped with the fleet-footed skill and innate sonar to pick up countless fouls against him. Last season, following a move to central midfield, chairman Bill Kenwright compared the Spaniard to Alex Young, the “Golden Vision”; dubbing Arteta La visión de Oro. He has been sorely missed as he recuperates...

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Top 60 Everton Players: #42. Joe Mercer OBE (1932-46)

January 4, 2010
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42. Joe Mercer OBE (1932-46) 184 appearances, 2 goals A league title winner at Goodison in 1938-39, Ellesmere Port born Mercer was an excellent left half and an England legend. Everton got four seasons out of him before the war. As with many players of his generation the war ‘stole’ what would have been his best years. He moved to Arsenal for £9,000 in 1946, though he continued to commute from Merseyside. Mercer’s fierce tackling and marauding runs were to be missed. His long and distinguished managerial career included spells at Sheffield Utd., Villa, Manchester City and as the care-taker England boss.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #43. Cliff Britton (1930-39)

January 3, 2010
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43. Cliff Britton (1930-39) 240 appearances, 3 goals Everton signed Britton in 1930 from Bristol Rovers. Three years later the talented midfielder had won the FA Cup and was later to be recognized by England, winning nine caps in all. Britton provided much ammunition for Bill Dean, who would later claim that his crosses were the best he had ever received.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #44. Gary Stevens (1981-88)

January 2, 2010
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44. Gary Stevens (1981-88) 284 appearances, 12 goals Stevens graduated through the youth team and became a strong right back. Though admittedly not the most technically gifted, he was almost unbeatable because of his extreme pace. Such was his symbiotic relationship with the man who played in front of him that Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven effectively came as a pair. The much hyped on-field relationship between Gary Neville and David Beckham doesn’t hold a torch to our Blue duo.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #45. Derek Temple

December 31, 2009
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45. Derek Temple (1956-68) 272 appearances, 82 goals Derek ‘Shirley’ Temple, a pacy and versatile player, scored the third miraculous goal in Everton’s famous 1966 Cup Final comeback against Sheffield Wednesday, a cool finish in a cauldron of pressure. His two-footed wing play even won the attention of Alf Ramsey, earning him one England cap in 1965.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #46. Andy King

December 30, 2009
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Top 60 Everton Players: #46. Andy King

46. Andy King (1976-80, 1982-84) 247 appearances, 68 goals An effervescent and skillful attacking force, Andy King first came to Goodison in 1976 as a £35,000 signing from Luton Town. None of his 68 net-bulgers were more memorable than his volleyed goal against the old enemy in October 1978, which has gone down in Goodison lore; King smashed the ball past Ray Clemence, ending seven years of inferiority to the Anfield club. King had exquisite technique and a huge heart, and the only regret from Evertonians is that he didn’t truly fulfill his massive potential.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #47. Warney Cresswell

December 29, 2009
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Top 60 Everton Players: #47. Warney Cresswell

47. Warney Cresswell (1927–36) 306 appearances, 1 goal Cresswell oozed such class that he became known as “the prince of full backs”. He won seven caps for England and helped Everton to win the Football League Championship twice and the FA Cup in 1933.

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Top 60 Everton Players: #48. John Hurst (1964-76)

December 28, 2009
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Top 60 Everton Players: #48. John Hurst (1964-76)

48. John Hurst 385 appearances, 34 goals A product of Everton’s youth system, Hurst was a key member of the 1970 league championship-winning side, playing at the heart of the defence alongside Brian Labone. An imposing and skilful player, Hurst has been somewhat neglected by the historians but his contribution is not forgotten by this admirer. Confusingly for those less flexible times he wore the No 10 shirt. Legend had it at the time that this allowed the goal-shy Colin Harvey to wear the No 6 shirt thus lifting psychological pressure from the attacking midfielder’s shoulders. Given Harry Catterick’s man-management skills, this is not as outlandish an explanation as...

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Top 60 Everton Players: #49. Martin Dobson

December 27, 2009
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Top 60 Everton Players: #49. Martin Dobson

49. Martin Dobson 190 appearances, 29 goals “I think you learn more from failure than you do from success. I was  and I was totally devastated. You just got a letter in those days – ‘Thank you, you’re crap, goodbye’” – Dobson on being rejected by Bolton as a youngster. Bolton Wanderers must still be kicking themselves for rejecting Martin Dobson when he was a teenager. Unbelievably, he is the second high profile Evertonian to be shown the door marked “gerrout!” by Bolton, the first being Alan Ball. Dobbo was a tall, gracile midfield player with excellent technique who was bought from Burnley by Billy Bingham in 1974, for...

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