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Gary Speed, a £3,500,000 summer signing from Leeds United, made his
debut at Goodison in August 1996, against Newcastle, where his
goal-scoring peformance in a 2-0 win overshadowed United's £15, 000, 000
debutant Alan Shearer. The boyhood Evertonian became an instant hero
with the Goodison faithful, yet within a season and a half the by-then
club captain departed for Newcastle in somewhat acrimonious
circumstances to become one of the Blues most unpopular ex-players. So
what went wrong?
His first season was a personal triumph as he scored 12
goals, including a hat-trick in a 7-1 thrashing of Southampton, but
Everton's season turned to dust after Christmas as their league form
crumbled and they exited the FA Cup at home to Bradford. Joe Royle
resigned as manager on deadline-day and Dave Watson was placed in
temporary charge until the end of the season to guide the Blues to
safety, fittingly achieved by Speed's goal in a 1-0 win at home to
Tottenham Hotspur. 1997/98 saw the return of Howard Kendall as manager
and he appointed Speed as club captain, supposedly a dream fulfilled for
Kevin Ratcliffe's former paperboy.
However, the season did not go well
and an allegedly fractious relationship between player and manager saw
Everton accept Newcastle's £5,500,000 offer with alacrity. Whatever
the truth behind the move Evertonian's regarded him as the man who left
the sinking ship and he received a less than friendly welcome on his
return with his new club later that season, and on each subsequent
occasion. (Mike Williams)
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