Long Read: Tarkowski's Pride And Pressure

In an interview that first appeared in the Official Matchday Programme for the visit of Newcastle United, James Tarkowski sat down to discuss what makes Everton a unique club to represent, his early-season battle to get back to true fitness, the influence of Seamus Coleman on his career, and why he is convinced brighter days are ahead for the Blues.

This time last week, James Tarkowski decided to take a different route on his drive to Goodison Park, affording himself a rare opportunity to take it all in.

The atmosphere that encapsulates Everton, such is the passion from those who care about the Club, makes for an intense environment at any given time but that, perhaps, has been heightened further during Tarkowski’s whirlwind two-and-a-bit years with the Blues – a spell that has involved pressurised scenarios of a final-day scrape with relegation, as well as an unprecedented points deduction.

Add to that a level of minimum expectations – a non-negotiable set of values for what is expected of an Everton player, even during the times when the Club’s priority is not adding to its decorated history – and it makes the famous royal blue jersey a heavy one to wear.

The honour of doing so, however, will never be lost on Everton’s No.6.

“I remember coming in a different way, past Gwladys Street School, seeing all of the entries and all of that and I was just thinking, ‘This is amazing’,” Tarkowski explains. “Sometimes, as players, we turn up thinking about the game, we walk in thinking about the game, and then we end up playing. You don’t often get a chance to take it in.

“I really enjoyed it seeing it from a different perspective. It’s amazing how historical the stadium is. I thought about how much history there has been here, how many important moments that have happened here and all of the memories people will have of it for different reasons.”

Tarkowski blows out his cheeks when asked how he would sum up his time as an Everton player so far. “I could go on for a few pages worth here,” he jokes. “But one thing I will say is I love playing here, I really do.

“The stadium, the history, the fans, the support we get. Getting to wear the shirt week-in, week-out, I've loved it. It's been testing, it's been the most testing time of my career in terms of issues in and around the Football Club, and it feels like it’s been one after another for a while, but the matchdays are always very special.

“Honestly, I think if I was younger I think I would have struggled [with the pressure], because I know that can be difficult. It’s really not easy to deal with it and play under it. But, where I am now, I really enjoy it. 

“I enjoy the pressure, I want it. I like having the pressure of going out every week and being expected to perform to a certain level. I want that from myself – I expect it from myself. Even when we’ve been in pressure situations here, I’m putting as much pressure on myself as anybody else is.

“You want to thrive under that. The expectations at this football club, rightly, are high. The history of what Everton is there for everyone to see and success is what people expect. 

“I am very understanding of how the past few years must have been for people who have followed this Club their whole lives. This is probably one of the worst positions the Club has been in for a while but hopefully now we’re coming out the other side and we can look forward again.

“The fans want a successful team, just as I want to be successful as an individual and help this football club become successful.”

The 31-year-old, a self-confessed “football fanatic”, has become a deeply-respected figure at Everton since his arrival from Burnley in the summer of 2022, both in the stands and in the changing room.

His education on what it means to play for Everton, as well as living it for himself, has been aided by endless conversations with staff who have supported and served the Club for significant periods of time.

“People like (First Team Sports Therapist) Jimmy Comer, (former podiatrist) Richie Porter and (First Team Assistant Kit Manager) Tony Sage, there are people who have been embedded in this Club for years and it’s amazing to share new moments with them and hear about what they’ve experienced here,” says Tarkowski.

“I love it. I love hearing about the little things as well, the snippets about old managers and players, like Gazza, for example.”

Tarkowski’s proud record of starting 100 per cent of Everton’s 82 league games since his arrival came under threat at the beginning of the current campaign.

The twice-capped England international suffered a troublesome glutes injury early in pre-season and a subsequent back issue is now being managed back to full health.

“It was a frustrating one in pre-season,” he admits. “It was the first Gaffer’s Day I've missed since I've known him – that’s how unusual it was for me. It’s been about managing load between games to get back up to full speed for me, which is difficult because I’m someone who likes to be out on the grass all of the time and I really don’t like missing training sessions, so I’ve had to accept that slower pace than I like.

“I’ve not been playing in absolute agony, it's just hindered my fitness levels a little bit and not being able to train all the time and be on the grass all the time doesn't help when it comes to a weekend. It’s not ideal but some players have probably done it for a number of years over their careers because they have to manage injuries. I've never been through it before and it’s the first time I’ve had to do it. 

“Ultimately, I’ll do whatever I can to be on the pitch, so that’s what I’ve done and I’m getting there now. I’m feeling better all of the time and I’ve been training more than I was in the first few weeks of the season.”

Everton head into the clash with Newcastle on the back of a morale-boosting comeback victory over Crystal Palace at Goodison Park last time out, a performance, Tarkowski believes, wasn’t the Blues’ best this term.

“We’d been so close, too close, for a while,” he insists. “It doesn't always feel like that from the outside because the result is the result, at the end of the day. That’s hard to take when you feel like you’re on top for the majority of the game but then end up losing or drawing at the end of it.

“From the outside, maybe it looked like we were low, but internally we always knew that we were very, very close to getting on the right side of the margins.

“I actually think the Palace game is probably one of our weakest performances so far, but the reaction in the second half was really pleasing. 

“I think throughout my time here we’ve shown a lot of character as a group of players. The reactions we’ve had in tough times – when we’ve needed one – have been good but hopefully we don’t have too many more of those moments now because we want to find a level of consistency.”
A half-time speech from captain Seamus Coleman – who is currently sidelined with an injury sustained while on international duty – became the subject of several post-match interviews after that Palace victory.

For Tarkowski’s part, while enjoying the responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband in Coleman’s absence, his admiration for his teammate is clear.

“I always find it hard when someone says, ‘You are the captain’, because I never feel like that – I wear the armband but there is only one captain in the Club, and everyone knows who that is,” explains Tarkowski. “Of course, I enjoy it. It’s a great honour. Shay has been great for me – I actually didn’t love it at first because I didn’t want him to think I was trying to take it but he’s been great and taken me under his wing a little bit, and then he comes to me for stuff he doesn’t love dealing with.

“If I need to lean on him when I need to speak or guide me in certain situations then he’s always there.

“For me, I’m there under Shay, as his support act, because he’s the real leader and I support him wherever I can.

“Look, Shay’s passion and love for this football club is unrivalled from all the people I’ve met. He loves the Club like you wouldn’t believe. When he speaks, people listen, first of all. 

“He had a point to make [at half-time against Crystal Palace] and he made it in the dressing room. In my time here, Shay’s had a few moments when he felt like he had to say something. Other players do speak, of course, but I think when Shay speaks people really do listen because you feel it.

“We all know how much he loves this football club, how much passion he has for it, and when he speaks, you see it. He wears it.”

The victory over Palace saw the return of Jarrad Branthwaite, with whom Tarkowski forged an incredibly impressive partnership last season, as the Toffees ended 2023/24 with the fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League.

Discussing Branthwaite’s return to fitness, as well as the early-season form of Michael Keane and summer addition of Republic of Ireland international defender Jake O’Brien from Lyon, Tarkowski continues: “I think Keano has been brilliant in the early part of the season, to be honest. It's been a tough time for the team, but I thought Keano was a really solid performer throughout that spell. 

“Jake has come in, new to this environment and new to the manager's way of working so it takes a bit of time to adjust to that but you can see he’s got every tool he needs to be a top, top player. 

“Then Jarrad is getting back up to full fitness after a tough time out. Obviously, that’s a massive plus for us because he was one of our most important players last season. 

“I’ve always said competition is the most important thing in any squad. If you've got an 11 that picks itself and no one else is really competing, it's never ideal because people can get comfortable. It’s hugely important to have that feeling of fighting for your spot and staying consistent with your levels.”

Looking to the future, starting with this evening’s visit of Newcastle United and further ahead to opening a new chapter in Everton’s history when the Club moves to its stunning new home at Bramley-Moore Dock from next season, Tarkowski says the hard work to strive for a brighter future will go on relentlessly.

“There is always work to be done,” he explains. “I’ve had some real highs as well as lows so far here. It’s been a rollercoaster but I’m very hopeful from this point on there will be more highs than lows.

“As players, we aren’t thinking too much about the ‘last this’ or the ‘last that’ at Goodison, because we have games to win. Only in time I think we will look back and know that we’ve been part of a real historical moment for this football club as we move to a new home.

“Every club will go through difficult patches but there is a lot to look forward to for us. We’ve all seen how powerful it can be when everyone is united at this football club and pushing things forward to make us better – and that’s what we all want to be part of.”