Sky Sports pundit predicts added ‘spice’ for Everton defender Conor Coady with Liverpool links
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
There is no problem for Conor Coady joining Everton with a Liverpool background, and he will become a fan-favourite, believes Kevin Campbell.
The former Wolves captain is a Reds fan and made two appearances for the Anfield side earlier in his career, but arrived at Goodison Park from Molineux on a loan-to-buy deal after Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina were again ruled out long-term with injuries.
Former Toffees captain, and Sky Sports pundit, Campbell knows a thing or two about life on Merseyside and predicts that the kind of character the 29-year-old is will endear him to the fans quickly despite the heated rivalry because such situations are commonplace in the city.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News he said: “Listen, one thing Conor Coady is, Conor Coady is a scouser. Yeah he supported Liverpool as a kid, but listen, many of the Liverpool players supported Everton.
“It actually adds a bit more spice into it. Conor Coady, his little boy’s an Evertonian. His family are Everton. But that’s what happens on Merseyside, families are split down the middle sometimes.
“As a player, as long as he puts it in like he normally does I think the Evertonians are going to take to him because he’s a good player, really good player, and an England international as well.
“I don’t see any problem with him joining the club and becoming a favourite with the fanbase.”
Had the Premier League veteran had a more extensive career on the other side of the Merseyside divide it might be a different matter, but there are endless examples of players with boyhood or youth level links to major rivals.
Jamie Carragher famously grew up an Everton fan and it is safe to say he is not any more, while only last year former Manchester City youth team player Jadon Sancho made a big-money move to Old Trafford.
Frank Lampard badly needed defensive help and was thankful to be able to get it quickly.
With Mina and Godfrey out again it would be back to the same situation as last season were it not for the arrivals of Coady and James Tarkowski, so if those two can raise the standard this year it will be of far more importance to the supporters.