A Merseyside XI of former Everton players won the Game4Hope charity match 3-2 against a World XI at Goodison Park. Leighton Baines scored the winning goal in the final minute of a nostalgic event that raised funds for Everton in the Community and the charity Shelter.
Tim Cahill captained the side, which also featured Phil Jagielka, Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott, Louis Saha and Yakubu. They faced a World XI containing legends like Rivaldo, Cafu, Clarence Seedorf and Jaap Stam. Toni Duggan and Jermain Beckford were also on the scoresheet for the Merseyside team.
The match was organised to generate money and awareness for Everton in the Community and Shelter. Both organisations support people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of it. “The game is raising money and awareness for Everton in the Community and Shelter, supporting their work with people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness,” the event organisers said.
While the legends played at Goodison, several current Everton players were on international duty. Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner are all with the England squad for their Nations League opener against Spain. Vitalii Mykolenko played the full 90 minutes for Ukraine in their 1-0 win over Hungary in Budapest.
At youth level, Harrison Armstrong featured for England Under-20s, while Tyrique George and Tyler Dibling came off the bench for the Under-21s. Dibling provided an assist in Everton’s last Premier League win, a 1-0 victory over Wolves. You can review the contributions of all players this season in the club's detailed stats section.
The first-team squad returns to action with a trip to face Hull City on 11 October. Sean Dyche’s side currently sit seventh in the Premier League standings with nine points from five games, unbeaten in their last five matches. The team has conceded only three goals in that period, a key factor in their strong start.
This story first appeared at readeverton.com
