Today, 8 July 2023, marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Everton legend, Dave Hickson.

Known by his adoring Evertonian public as ‘The Cannonball Kid’, Hickson died at the age of 83 in the summer of 2013.

Although he is also fondly remembered by supporters of his other clubs, Goodison Park is where he was truly idolised and he served the Club faithfully until his eighties.

Born in Birkenhead, Hickson first joined the Toffees from Ellesmere Port Town in 1948 and had to wait until he had completed his mandatory National Service before making his Senior Team debut.

He quickly became a regular in the side and his aggressive, robust approach to centre-forward play endeared him to the faithful.

Chairman Bill Kenwright was an Evertonian schoolboy at the time and he said this when Hickson passed away: “I have had many idols in my life but only one true hero. In the eyes of my generation of Blues, Dave was a colossus. In my seven-year-old eyes he was simply the greatest centre-forward on the planet.”

In 1955, Hickson left Everton for Aston Villa and then had a spell with Huddersfield Town, before returning to Goodison in 1957.

He later appeared for both Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers, one of only two men to have ever played for all three professional Merseyside teams.

In total, Hickson played 243 games for the Blues, scoring 109 goals and after retirement he came back to his beloved Goodison as an Ambassador and part of the stadium-tour team, delighting generations of fans with his recollections.

Dave Hickson is a genuine Everton legend and we remember him this weekend.

As he once famously said: “I would have broken every bone in my body for every other club I played for, but I would have died for Everton.”