Everton played their first ever UEFA Champions League fixture ON THIS DAY in 2005.
Having finished fourth in the Premier League the previous season, the Blues were then somewhat unfortunate to be drawn against a very strong Villarreal side in the pre-group stage qualifier.
Luciano Figueroa gave the Spaniards the lead in the 27th minute and James Beattie levelled for Everton three minutes before half-time. Frustratingly though, Josico restored the lead just before the interval and Villarreal earned a 2-1 win that left Everton with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
Phil Neville and Simon Davies made their debuts for the Blues.
The legendary Joe Mercer was born ON THIS DAY in 1914.
Mercer was a pivotal component in the Everton team that won the 1938/39 First Division title and he would undoubtedly have gained more honours for the Club had it not been for the outbreak of the Second World War.
The conflict restricted Mercer to 184 appearances (two goals) and he left to join Arsenal in 1946, with whom he would win the 1950 FA Cup final and earn himself the Footballer of the Year award in the same season.
He later found success as a manager, chiefly with Manchester City, winning the First Division, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup between 1968 and 1970.
Mercer later managed England and there is still a lounge at Goodison Park that bears his name.
He died on this day in 1990, which was his 76th birthday.
Teenage striker Chris Long scored Everton’s consolation goal in a 3-1 pre-season defeat at SC Paderborn ON THIS DAY in 2015.
The German side had just been promoted to the Bundesliga and were a couple of weeks ahead of Everton with regards to fitness.
Long gave Everton a 16th-minute lead with a fine curling shot but a Moritz Stoppelkamp penalty before half-time and second-half goals from Marvin Duksch and Daniel Bruckner gave Paderborn the victory.
The short trip was extended for Roberto Martinez and his side when the aircraft that was due to fly the travelling party back to Merseyside suffered a malfunction on the runway - everyone had to disembark and the squad and staff spent an extra night in the small German town.
