I'm a Blue in a family of Reds.
I’m from Fazakerley and I've been a Toffee since my first game in 2004, a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Blackburn Rovers... but I was hooked. Me and my dad fly the Everton flag, despite everyone around us supporting Liverpool.
I can only remember moments from those early days of going to the games - much better ones followed my first experience, with James Beattie's winner in a 1-0 win over Arsenal in 2006 one that stands out.
Brought up on the steely football of David Moyes, I fell for players such as Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar. The work rate and tenacity of that Everton team captured my imagination and I couldn't get enough.
Moyes was all I’d ever known until his departure in 2013, but then came Roberto Martinez, who transformed us into a side that played a fluent, attacking style, which I’ll fondly always remember - especially the season where we managed to get 72 points but, somehow, narrowly missed out on Champions League football.
A highlight in my Everton journey was the resounding 2-0 FA Cup win against Chelsea in March 2016 that sent us to Wembley. Romelu Lukaku was unstoppable that night and the Goodison Park atmosphere was like nothing I’d ever experienced (well, until Crystal Palace in 2022).
That Palace game is still so vivid in my mind. Thankfully, the footballing Gods were looking down on the Blues that day and, for different reasons, it's a night I'll never forget.
Hopefully, we're on the up now. The current crop of players have already produced memorable moments and I have genuine faith we can build something from here.
My love for Everton - and football in general - culminated in me training as a sports journalist. I have interviewed many ex-Everton players and I have also spent some time with the Club's content team while studying at university.
One thing stands out from that experience is that the Club is full of people who want nothing but the best for the Blues.
Evertonians welcome people with open arms - and that's something that extends to inside the Club as well.
Everton are unique in many ways and even when there are tough times on the pitch, there is so much to be proud of off it.
By Luke Davies, Evertonian
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Everton and technical partner hummel are proud to collaborate to present My Everton, a weekly series of first-hand accounts describing the most-treasured memories of fans, players, and staff both past and present.
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