An ultimate foreign Everton XI of the Premier League era

Picking Everton’s finest foreign stars of the Premier League era is bound to spark debate. I’ve attempted to build a balanced starting eleven, players who not only excelled during their time with the Toffees but also complement one another in my system.

For this exercise, anyone from outside the British Isles counts as foreign (sorry, Seamus). I’ve set the XI players up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, designed to showcase both skill and cohesion. 

Why not tell me your Ultimate Foreign Everton XI and what system you would put them in?

This isn’t about longevity or loyalty alone. Some fan favourites won’t make the cut. I certainly struggled at right-back and probably should have had someone more defensively minded in the heart of the midfield, but here you go!

Goalkeeper: Tim Howard 

Between the posts, Tim Howard is a fortress of calm, a pair of hands that can snatch the impossible from the air. With reflexes like lightning and instincts honed to perfection, he commands his penalty area with authority, turning moments of panic into poetry.

Right-back: John Heitinga 

Versatile and resolute, John Heitinga embodies intelligence and determination. While not the flashiest going forward, his presence at right-back steadies the line, freeing Andrei Kanchelskis to dance and delight in the final third. A Dutch wall in defence, Heitinga’s experience and discipline anchor the team with quiet authority.

Centre-back: Joseph Yobo 

Joseph Yobo, versatile yet definitive at centre-back, marries pace with power, tackling with authority and marking with precision. His stamina never wanes, his leadership inspires, and his presence reassures both club and country. A guardian whose calm and confidence set the tone at the heart of defence.

Centre-back: Sylvain Distin 

At 6’-4”, Sylvain Distin is a colossus with surprising pace, a blend of strength and elegance that navigates the chaos of the Premier League. Left-footed and astute, he balances the backline, dominating aerial duels and reading danger before it arrives. In him, Everton found both a shield and a strategist.

Left-back: Lucas Digne

Down the left flank glides Lucas Digne, a magician with a left foot that weaves crosses like threads of silk. His endless energy fuels both attack and defence, a tireless sentinel who tackles with precision and reads the game with a scholar’s eye. He gives Richarlison the freedom to cut inside, while he shapes the play from the wide avenues of the pitch.

Midfield: Idrissa Gana Gueye 

The relentless pulse of Everton, Idrissa Gana Gueye runs as if the field itself bends to his will. Pressing, harrying, reclaiming, the Senegalese dynamo disrupts opponents like a force of nature, retrieving the ball with uncanny timing and turning defence into attack. He is the heartbeat, untiring and unyielding. Gana would have to be put on somewhat of a leash, playing a slightly deeper role in this side, providing a protective wall for the defence, doing his best work from inside his own half and rarely venturing forward.

Midfield: Mikel Arteta 

Mikel Arteta orchestrates the midfield with the finesse of a maestro. Every pass, every movement, every touch is deliberate, drawing teammates into rhythm and dictating the tempo. Calm under pressure and lethal from set-pieces, he links defense and attack, building the game from deep while always threatening the edge of the box.

Midfield: James Rodríguez 

James Rodríguez, the epitome of elegance and vision, turns the pitch into his canvas. A true playmaker, he conjures chances from nothing, strikes with precision from distance, and bends set-pieces like poetry in motion. Each pass and goal drips with class, making him perhaps the finest artist to wear the Everton shirt in the Premier League era.

Right-wing: Andrei Kanchelskis 

Speed incarnate, Andrei Kanchelskis is a whirlwind of unpredictability down the right. He can slice through defences with a searing cross or unleash a venomous shot from anywhere. Electric, daring, and uncontainable, he keeps defenders guessing while illuminating the flank with his audacious creativity.

Left-wing: Richarlison

Richarlison, ever the dynamo on the left wing, blends flair with fearlessness. An acrobatic finisher and tireless worker, he tracks back to guard Digne’s runs and bursts forward to torment defences. Every goal, every tackle, every sprint speaks of a player who bleeds Everton blue and embraces every battle on the pitch.

Forward: Romelu Lukaku 

Pace, power, precision, Romelu Lukaku is Everton’s unstoppable force at the spearhead. A titan in the air and a juggernaut on the ground, he holds up play, drags defenders out of position, and unleashes thunderous strikes. Whether holding up the ball to bring the likes of  Richarlison, Kanchelskis, or James into play, or racing behind the opposition’s defence, the Belgian’s presence alone reshapes the game and provides a constant source of goals.

 

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