Jordan Pickford has revealed his favourite memories of Goodison Park.
Sunday’s visit of Southampton is the final time that Everton will step out at their spiritual home after 133 years before moving to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It is set to be an emotional affair for all connected with the club including Pickford, who has been an everpresent for David Moyes’ side since 2017.
Ahead of the fond farewell, the England international pinpointed his personal highlights at the Grand Old Lady during his past eight years with the Blues.
“I’ll never forget my debut for Everton against Stoke,” said Pickford.
“That was personal and I kept a clean sheet. I would probably say the Crystal Palace game, when we had to win to stay up [in 2022] because we had to go to Arsenal on the Sunday and that’s always a tough place.
“To manage to get the result the game before going to Arsenal, especially after going two goals down in the first half and then scoring three, was incredible.
“That was one of the best games I have played in. Dele Alli came on at half-time and changed the game.
“For us to get that early goal, you could just the fans at Goodison have lift-off. That gives you the next step and that is when we got the equaliser.
“Then [it was] 3-2 and after that, it was all a blur.
The Saints head to Goodison with only pride to play for after confirmation of their latest Premier League relegation was sealed at the beginning of April.
Everton, meanwhile, could guarantee 13th place in the table with a win over the South Coast outfit after battling half the season in the lower reaches.
And Pickford insists that the prospect of securing a credible finish serves as motivation as much as ending Goodison’s lengthy spell in disappointment.
He added: “It’s one of them where I think Southampton will want to come and spoil the party [of] the last home game at Goodison.
“You play football for a reason, you play football to win football matches, and you want to have the pride, so that’s what they’ll be playing for, the pride.
“But we’ll be playing for the memory to go down as winning the last home game at Goodison. That is massive for us.
“So probably there’s a little bit of added pressure from the team’s perspective, but it’s another game of football.
“We also want to make sure we’re guaranteed 13th, really. If we win Sunday, I think it kind of guarantees us 13th, which, looking back, we know we’ve probably missed a few results here and there.
“But I think it’s been a good season finishing 13th [given where we were].”
Pickford’s final outing at Goodison will be a family affair as his two eldest children are set to be mascots on what will be an emotional afternoon.
But while he is saddened to leave behind the history oft he stadium, the 31-year-old is encouraged by Everton’s new home at Bramley-Moore Dock
“Unfortunately, we’ve not won any silverware during my time, but the history goes back such a long way, and once I had been here for a while and I started getting a few Evertonians as friends,” admitted Pickford.
“Sagey (Tony Sage) the kit man goes back decades. He’s only in his 50s but you’d think he was 100 with all the history he knows.
“That side of the club is important – but on the flip side I was down at the new stadium last week and that’s going to be so good.
“It’s been tough the last few years. Our history has been about surviving relegation, to be honest. I thrive off pressure. That’s when I’m at my best.
“But the new stadium is another chapter of Everton’s history and we can create our own history when we move.
“It’s going to be a sad day leaving Goodison but the flip side is that we are moving to one of the best stadiums I’ve seen.”