Tarkowski Extends Contract with Everton, Aims for European Football
Everton’s defender James Tarkowski has committed his future to the club by signing a two-year contract extension, ensuring his stay until 2028. The 32-year-old joined Everton as a free agent from Burnley in 2022 and has since made 128 appearances for the team.
Ambitious Goals Ahead
Capped twice by England and appointed vice-captain in 2023, Tarkowski believes that Everton has the potential to qualify for European competitions under manager David Moyes. Reflecting on his journey, he remarked, “The past few years have been filled with highs and lows. We’ve navigated through those challenges, and I’m optimistic about the promising times that lie ahead.”
He added, “Playing in Europe has always been an aspiration of mine. I had a short experience with Burnley during qualifiers, but we didn’t progress to the group stages. So, I’m eager to achieve that here.”
Tarkowski emphasized that qualifying for Europe is a shared aim of the team. “So far, we’ve started the season decently. Although there’s room for improvement, we are pushing to secure a place in European tournaments and bring that excitement to our new stadium,” he concluded.
He has been a mainstay in all seven Premier League fixtures this season, contributing to Everton’s current eighth position in the league standings.
Analysis: The Quintessence of Consistency
By Matthew Hobbs, BBC Sport Journalist
Tarkowski’s renewed contract with Everton reflects his consistent performance, both in fitness and on-field contributions. Before a hamstring injury sidelined him in the final weeks of the last season, he had remarkably played 111 consecutive Premier League matches—the longest streak among outfield players during that time and the fourth-longest for any non-goalkeeper in league history.
As Tarkowski commenced this season in the heart of the Everton defense, he may not have fully regained his peak form during early matches. Nonetheless, since joining Everton in July 2022, he has been a stellar performer and arguably deserves more recognition than some defenders from teams that have enjoyed recent successes, given his dominance in defensive metrics.
Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Tarkowski has led all outfield players in the Premier League in categories such as clearances, headed clearances, blocks, and aerial duels won, even surpassing notable defenders like Arsenal’s Gabriel and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
Despite not being primarily known for scoring goals, Tarkowski has found the net over the last seven Premier League seasons. He notably equalized in the last men’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park with a dramatic goal in the 98th minute.
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