What The Papers Say - Jan 18

Wednesday's Everton coverage.

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton. 

Former team-mates and current professionals were among the mourners who attended the funeral of Gary Ablett on Tuesday.

The 46-year-old – the only player to win the FA Cup with both Liverpool and Everton – died on New Year's Day after a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The current Liverpool and Everton managers, Kenny Dalglish and David Moyes, were present at the city's Anglican Cathedral along with many of Ablett's team-mates – including John Barnes, Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson, Duncan Ferguson, Matt Jackson and David Unsworth – and other contemporaries from the 1980s and early 1990s.

The likes of Everton players Phil Neville and Tim Cahill were joined by the club's former managers Joe Royle and Howard Kendall and also the former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez.

Roy Keane, who briefly worked alongside Ablett at Ipswich Town just before his illness was diagnosed, was also present along with the England Under-21 manager, Stuart Pearce.

The coffin of Ablett was carried into church to You'll Never Walk Alone and left to Everton's anthem Z-Cars.

He leaves behind a wife, Jacqueline, and five children.

Football paid its respects to former Liverpool and Everton defender Gary Ablett on Tuesday.

It was never in doubt  that Merseyside’s footballing  fraternity would be heavily represented at the city’s Anglican cathedral and  Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish and Everton manager David Moyes were among the hundreds of mourners.

But it was a mark of the esteem in which he was held that luminaries such as Roy Keane — who gave Ablett his last job at Ipswich in August, 2010 — Ray Clemence,  England Under 21 head coach Stuart Pearce, Howard Wilkinson and Swansea  manager Brendan Rodgers were in the congregation.

Ablett, the only man to win the FA Cup with both  Liverpool and Everton, lost his 16-month battle against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on New Year’s Day, aged 46, and the service to celebrate his life was incredibly poignant.

His coffin was carried into the cathedral accompanied by a haunting version of You’ll Never Walk Alone, while Everton’s anthem — the Z-Cars theme — provided a  similarly evocative soundtrack when he was carried out. A place was also found,  fittingly, for the FA Cup final hymn Abide With Me.

For the 60 minutes in between, stories were told about Ablett’s zest for life, his passion for football, the graceful way in which he battled his illness and, above all, the love he had for his wife, Jacqueline, and five children — Scarlett, Reece, Riley, Josh and Fraser.

From recollections about how he became hooked on football through watching his father, Neil, playing for the police, to how he defied his headmaster’s advice to pursue a career at Anfield, it was evident that Ablett was one of a kind.

Twice he won the title — in 1988 and 1990 — with  Liverpool but perhaps his most satisfying success during his years in red was the FA Cup win, when Everton were beaten 3-2 in extra time, which came in between. The image of Ablett bouncing up and down on the Royal Box, wearing a bobble hat as Ronnie Whelan hoisted the trophy aloft is enduring.

THE blue and red of Merseyside came together yesterday to say goodbye to their former football star Gary Ablett.

Past and present Everton and Liverpool players paid their respects to Gary, who won the FA Cup with both clubs.

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, 60, and Everton’s David Moyes, 48, were among the 1,000 mourners.

Ex-Everton bosses Joe Royle, 62, and Howard Kendall, 65, plus Liverpool legends Alan Hansen, 56, and Robbie Fowler, 36, attended along with Roy Keane, 40, who worked with him at Ipswich.

Gary lost his battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on New Year’s Day, aged 46. He leaves wife Jacqueline, daughter Scarlet and sons Reece, Riley, Josh and Fraser.

The service began with Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone and finished with Everton’s Z-Cars theme.

Everton star Tim Cahill, 32, Tweeted after the service: “An amazing turnout for such a great person.”

FOOTBALL stars past and present from Merseyside and beyond gathered at Liverpool Cathedral to bid farewell to Gary Ablett.
 
The defender, who won the FA Cup with both Liverpool and Everton, died on January 2 following a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
 
At a funeral service, where the 46-year-old’s wife Jacqueline led the mourners, the life of the popular footballer who wore both blue and red in the 1980s and 1990s was remembered.
 
Current LFC manager Kenny Dalglish and EFC boss David Moyes attended yesterday along with famous names from the dugouts of Goodison Park and Anfield including Howard Kendall, Joe Royle and Rafael Benitez.
 
Aigburth-born Gary’s son clutched a blue shirt while the remainder of his family, including the footballer’s other son and daughter and parents Tommy and Vera, led around 1,000 mourners into the cathedral.
 
Former Liverpool players John Barnes, Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush and Anfield stars-turned-TV pundits Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen took their seats alongside past Everton stalwarts David Unsworth and Matt Jackson, who gave a reading.
 
Current Liverpool and Everton first team players also took their places alongside one another including Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jay Spearing, Tim Cahill, Phil Neville and Phil Jagielka, who made his way up the cathedral’s steps on crutches.

A host of the Blues’ academy youngsters also turned out for the service, a tribute to Gary’s time spent nurturing young players at the club between 2002 and 2006.
 
In a coaching role he crossed Stanley Park again and took the helm at Liverpool Reserves.
 
Gary’s burgeoning talent as a coach was recognised as he took charge at Stockport County, who were struggling in administration, before taking a job at Ipswich Town in 2010.
 
It was there he was taken ill on the training ground which led to his diagnosis.
 
Roy Keane, the former Manchester United star who took Gary on at Ipswich also attended as did Tranmere Rovers boss Les Parry and Birkenhead-born Southampton boss Nigel Adkins.
 
A testament to Gary’s crossing of Liverpool’s football divide came as his coffin was carried out of the cathedral to the Blue’s Z Cars theme before the organ began a rendition of Kop favourite You’ll Never Walk Alone.
 
Speaking after the service ECHO columnist and one-time teammate Ian Snodin, who played alongside Gary for the Blues, said: “Gary was a great friend and colleague and a good lad.
 
“He never fell out with anyone on the training ground despite coming to Goodison from Liverpool.
 
“I'm a proud man to say I knew him.”

DAVID WEIR is unlikely to provide the answer to Everton FC’s defensive dilemma despite announcing he will leave Rangers.
 
The 41-year-old former Scotland international has decided to end his career at Ibrox after having limited first-team opportunities this season, and wants a move back to England.
 
That led to speculation David Moyes was poised to recruit Weir as a coach, and also register him to play as he continues to deal with an injury crisis in his back-line.
 
Everton currently have fitness doubts over Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, and Tony Hibbert, with only John Heitinga and rookie Shane Duffy as the only fit central defenders at the club.
 
But the ECHO understands Weir will not end his playing career at Goodison after all, although the Blues could yet try and lure him to Finch Farm in the summer as part of the coaching staff.
 
The super-fit veteran admitted in September that he feared risking a dream-job back at Everton by opting to prolong his playing career with Rangers, and is highly rated as a coach by Moyes.
 
If he had been brought back to Everton, Weir, who still has a house in the North-West, would have overtaken Warney Cresswell, who was 40 years and 311 days when he made his last appearance in 1935, as the club’s oldest ever outfield player.
 
Weir, who played 235 games for the Blues, said: “It will be an emotional week because it’s the end of five years for me at Rangers, five years I have loved.
 
“I’m not sad about it, I’m happy that I got the opportunity to play for such a great club.

JOHN HEITINGA believes Everton FC have got no chance of bringing Steven Pienaar back to Goodison this month – despite the playmaker looking likely to leave Spurs in search of first-team football.
 
The South African midfielder was left on the bench once again by Harry Redknapp during Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Everton FC last week, and only introduced with 13 minutes of the contest remaining.
 
Pienaar had been greeted warmly by his former team-mates in the visiting dug-out at White Hart Lane, and is believed to be desperate to play more regularly again, but Spurs have ruled out allowing him to leave on loan and will only sell for £5m.
 
That leaves the 29-year-old – who is being closely pursued by QPR – out of Everton’s price range, and Heitinga says it’s a shame a deal cannot happen.
 
“I’d take him back but I don’t think it’s realistic,” said the Dutch defender. “They would ask for more money to sell him than they paid us for him, and we don’t have much more.
 
“It’s up to the manager and the board whether a few players come or not but Pienaar is unrealistic.
 
“I played with him at Ajax and he’s got a lot of quality. It surprises me that he’s not playing more regularly for them. He was injured but he did very well for Everton in the past. I heard in the newspaper he was going to leave and go to another team, so you never know what’s going to happen.”

Heitinga, who is currently the only fully fit senior central defender at Everton following Sylvain Distin’s hamstring injury on Wednesday, declined to criticise Pienaar’s decision to leave 12 months ago but said first-team football is his own priority.
 
He said: “You’d need to ask Steven if he regrets it. The important thing for me is that you’re happy and you play.
 
“Everton is a nice club to play for, and Steven made the decision to go to another club and it’s his right to make that decision. We’ll see what will happen with him.”
 
Meanwhile, Victor Anichebe says new signing Darron Gibson made an impressive start to his Blues career.
 
The Republic of Ireland defender signed last Friday, and made his debut in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
 
Anichebe said: “I saw some great balls he was playing to the forwards and hopefully he can gain some confidence and fitness.
 
“I think he’s a great signing and I’m sure he’ll push on to keep doing well for us. It was a good team performance against Aston Villa.
 
“We’ve got a lot of injuries and we’ve been unlucky over the last few seasons with injuries. Shane Duffy, Darron Gibson, Landon Donovan and myself have come in and we’ve come together as a team and we’ve done ourselves proud.
 
“Landon’s done ever so well since he came in, he’s played three games in quick succession and his ball for the goal was fantastic.”

IT’S THE day more usually associated with winding down from the working week and looking forward to the weekend.
 
But for the first ordinary Friday in 30 years next week, match-day fever is set to grip the blue half of the city.
 
David Moyes’ men will run out at Goodison to face Fulham in the fourth round of the FA Cup, prompting memories of their last non-bank holiday Friday game at the Old Lady against Arsenal in 1980.
 
John Lennon was still alive, Margaret Thatcher was in Downing Street and ‘Going Underground’ by The Jam was top of the charts on March 28 of that year when the Blues hosted Arsenal.
 
That night Gordon Lee’s side, who were an unhealthy 18th in the table, slumped to a 1-0 defeat and Moyes will hope his side can avoid the miserable form of Lee’s men that year, finishing 19th just above relegation.
 
Back then, the unusual choice of day for the fixture was to accommodate the Grand National taking place at Aintree on the Saturday – an event which at least gave fed-up Blues a chance to recover their losses on backing Bob Latchford to sink the Gunners, if they picked out 40-1 winner Ben Nevis that is.
 
This time around Goodison will get that Friday feeling because of TV scheduling, so often the bane of the modern fan.

DAVID WEIR has paved the way for a sensational return to Everton FC after announcing his imminent departure from Rangers.
 
Weir yesterday confirmed he would leave Ibrox on Friday having seen his first-team opportunities limited this season.
 
The 41-year-old, who was brought to Rangers by Walter Smith in 2007, has fallen out of the picture under Ally McCoist.
 
Everton manager David Moyes wants to recruit short-term centre-back cover following Phil Jagielka’s knee ligament injury, a need which has become more pressing with the recent absence of Sylvain Distin.
 
Shane Duffy, the 20-year-old Republic of Ireland under-21 centre-back, has made his first Premier League appearances in Everton’s last two games.
 
But Moyes is seeking more experienced cover, and Weir – who made 269 appearances over eight years for Everton before leaving for Ibrox – may come under consideration as a stop-gap.
 
Speaking about his exit from Rangers, Weir said: “It will be an emotional week because it’s the end of five years for me at Rangers, five years I have loved.
 
“I’m not sad about it, I’m happy that I got the opportunity to play for such a great club.
 
“During my time here I have got to play with fantastic players and work with great coaches and on top of that we achieved a lot.
 
“I have so many memories to look back on and I am very proud of that, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
 
“But it’s not been a difficult decision, if anything I probably prolonged it.”

Weir added: “I could have left at the end of last season along with Walter and that would have been a natural end to it.
 
“But I still want to play and even now I still want to play.
 
“I’ve not got anything lined up in terms of where I will be going or what I will be doing because I wanted to speak to the manager here first and do things properly.”
 
Meanwhile, Victor Anichebe has been urged to continue his goalscoring form after an impressive return from injury.
 
Anichebe has netted twice in four appearances since recovering from the groin problem that had ruled him out for almost four months, scoring the equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
 
And Everton assistant manager Steve Round said: “Victor is a really good player. He is strong and aggressive, he holds the ball up well and has great technique. He needs to score more goals and he’d admit that.
 
“He needs to get into more scoring positions, but he has started well (since returning from injury). He has got a couple of goals and he always looks a threat.
 
“The most important thing for Victor is to train and stay fit and, if he can do that for the remainder of the season, then it will be a big, big bonus for us.”

LANDON DONOVAN believes Everton FC are readying themselves for another strong second half of a Premier League campaign.
 
Donovan produced his best performance since his New Year return to Goodison in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
 
The United States international provided the assist for substitute Victor Anichebe to earn the injury-hit visitors a hard-earned point.
 
And the 29-year-old, who is on short-term loan from LA Galaxy, believes Everton FC’s form will improve further once their walking wounded return to action.
 
“If we get Hibbo, Ossie, Jack and Jags back it’s quite a strong squad,” said Donovan. “Obviously adding Darron Gibson now has strengthened the squad, and getting Vic healthy and playing well too.
 
“I think that will give the manager some really tough choices in the next few weeks.
 
“Obviously this team is a great team. We’re a lot of guys who work hard and play the game the right way, but we just need a little bit of creativity in the final third and I think we’re starting to get that.
 
“I think Louis (Saha) was a little better on Saturday, I felt a little better, Tim (Cahill) played well, and I think we’re just starting to click a little bit more, and it’s going to get better as we go.”
 
Of Everton’s performance, Donovan added: “I thought given what this team has been through in the last couple of weeks, all the games, I thought the effort was really good, the game was good and it was fast.
 
“It was probably pretty exciting for the fans to watch and, in the end, a point is probably fair, even if on another day with a little luck we might have got a win.”
 
Donovan was particularly impressed by the performance of Shane Duffy, with the 20-year-old Irishman making his full Premier League debut when deputising for Sylvain Distin.

“I was here with Shane a couple of years ago and I didn’t even realise that Wednesday (at Tottenham) was his first Premier League game,” he said.
 
“He looked so comfortable and having played a bunch of games out on loan you can tell his confidence is high.
 
“He came in on Wednesday and did well and on Saturday I don’t think he put a foot wrong. He was really good.”
 
Everton aim to return to winning ways with the visit of Blackburn Rovers on Saturday and Donovan, having played four games in 14 days, is looking forward to a full week of preparation.
 
“It’s been nice to come in and get a lot of games but you kind of get thrown right into the fire and you’ve got to fend for yourself,” he said.
 
“It’s been good but the part that hasn’t been sharp is in the attacking third.
 
“I feel I haven’t been great with my passing and my finishing and it will be good having some time to actually work on it during training as opposed to just playing a game and recovering and then playing a game again.”
 
Meanwhile, young midfielder James Wallace’s loan spell at Stevenage has been cancelled by mutual consent after manager Graham Westley departed the npower League One side to take the reins at Preston.
 
Wallace tweeted: “Loan has been cancelled at Stevenage, wish the lads good luck for rest of the season. Hopefully get a loan move this week.”