Good morning, Everton fans. Here are your morning headlines for Friday, June 19.
Calvert-Lewin speaks out over George Floyd death
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has spoken about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and his emotional reaction to the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died last month in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
His death has sparked mass protests against racism and police brutality on both sides of the Atlantic.
Speaking about his reaction to seeing the widely publicised footage of Floyd’s death, Calvert-Lewin said: “What happened to George Floyd in America made me very emotional.
“To see something like that in such graphic detail…it really hit home to me.
“I’m in a privileged position where I don’t really come across too much racism on a daily basis. But it’s so sad to see racism is very much still rife in the world.
“I don’t know if it’s a generational thing, but what I have really enjoyed seeing is my generation, as well as some of those who are older, protesting against it.
“I think, for the first time in my life and in a long time, there has been a movement of real significance towards the way we all want the world to be. We should all love each other as we love ourselves.”
Jeffers glad to have been sent off in first derby
Francis Jeffers has recalled his famous Merseyside derby scrap with Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld and has revealed why he was actually pleased to be the first to take the long walk back to the changing rooms.
Both he and Westerveld were sent off by Mike Riley following a scuffle late in the game as Everton won 1-0 at Anfield in September 1999, the Toffees’ last away victory against their fierce rivals.
The fight was something of a mismatch, with Westerveld looming over the teenage Jeffers, and speaking to The Official Everton Podcast , Jeffers said: “It was something and nothing. Emotions are high in the derby game.
“I think I saw him a couple of weeks later in the Blue Bar, I think, and all was forgotten.
“Luckily for me, the referee was using his head and he didn’t want us walking off together so he told me ‘you’re going first’ and I knew I was getting sent off and the big fella was coming.
“I was happy that I was going first because there was a chance to get in the changing rooms and lock the door quickly.”
Everton 'to miss out on Gabriel'
Everton could be set to miss out on Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, according to Footmercato .
Magalhaes has been on the radar for Carlo Ancelotti and the Blues.
However, Napoli have now reportedly 'finalised' an agreement with Lille worth £20 million plus bonuses.
According to the rumours, the move is set to be completed on September 1 when the Italian transfer window opens.
