Wayne Rooney was among the club greats who joined in Everton’s emotional farewell to Goodison Park on Sunday after victory against Southampton.
Rooney was joined by fellow Blues legends Peter Reid, Graeme Sharp and Duncan Ferguson and 60 other former players in a parade on the pitch that followed Iliman Ndiaye’s brace in a 2-0 win.
After supporters good-naturedly mocked Rooney’s association with Manchester United, he told them to a huge ovation: ‘I am a Scouser by the way – a young lad from Crocky (Croxteth).
‘Everton was the club I grew up with. I still love the club. I know we’ve had ups and down. Hopefully we can bring history we’ve had at Goodison Pak to the new stadium.’
Rooney was embraced by former team-mate Duncan Ferguson and parade host boxer Tony Bellew as he spoke and there were more tears when Tim Cahill added a tribute to late chairman Bill Kenwright, saying: ‘Bill will be watching down.’
1980s heroes Andy Gray and Peter Reid received some of the biggest cheers as they were announced.
Wayne Rooney was among Everton greats present for their Goodison Park farewell
Peter Reid and Andy Gray were among those to receive the biggest cheers from supporters
Thousands of Everton fans came out to greet the team ahead of the match with Southampton
Gray said: ‘I thought I’d seen everything in football until I came to Everton. The atmosphere here was something extraordinary. We may be leaving Goodison but Goodison will never leave us.’
Earlier, thousands of Everton fans had turned out to greet the team’s arrival and the players did their part by cruising to with two first-half goals against the Premier League’s bottom team.
Manager David Moyes said: ‘The scenes outside the stadium were incredible. I made the point to the player we had to finish off the Goodison era properly.
‘Although we were safe in the table, the pressure was still on them because of the occasion and because of all the greats who were sitting watching them.’
After 133 years at Goodison, Everton’s men’s team will kick off next season at a new ground by Liverpool’s waterside which was this week named the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The women’s team will continue to play at Goodison.
