Draw Attention

Everton have not had a penalty in the Premiership this season and Moyesy thinks it maybe because AJ has become too quiet.

Moyesy says: "Andy works hard for everyone, but maybe he needs to remonstrate a bit more when decisions go against him. Saying nothing is obviously not working. It's important that he comes alive again and gets back to being a menace in the penalty area. He needs to draw attention to himself.

Maybe the decisions that have gone against him have made him become a quiet person on the field. I thought he came back a bit better than he has been in the second half against Villa. The signs were encouraging. He was sharp and we hope that can continue until the end of the season as he is due a goal." (03/05/08)

AJ Set To Return For Derby

Andy is set to recover from his groin strain and take his place in the squad. This news is sure to go down like a lead balloon to the redshite defence, who still stay wide awake at night thinking about AJ scoring 2 in the derby last season. (28/03/08)

AJ's Gonna Be OK

Basil Rathbone has confirmed that AJ has a great chance of facing De Hammers in this Saturdays tea time kick off. Unlucky AJ hobbled out of Sundays defeat to Fulham with a groin injury but Basil's magic hands have worked overtime to get AJ back on the road to recovery.

Basil says: "AJ had a scan on Monday and it revealed what we thought it would. The player has a groin strain and we’ll do everything we can to get him fit before the weekend." (18/03/08)

A Marriage Made In Heaven

Although he has been demoted to the bench after his brace against SK Brann a fortnight ago, AJ is confident that his partnership with The Yak is now bearing fruit. It was AJ who turned yesterdays match when he came off the bench with half an hour to go, even setting up The Yak for his second and Everton's third in a 3-1 win against Pompey. He is hoping that may well give Moyesy some selection headaches ahead of our UEFA Cup tie in Italy on Thursday evening.

AJ says: "We seem to play well together. Every time we get the ball we seem to look for each other. But the main thing is that he scored two goals and has been in fantastic form and long may that continue. I was just pleased to put it through to him, but he did all the hard work – he had to cut inside and put it in the back of the net. He’s in fantastic form and he’s a massive player for the team.

We are in great form. The confidence is up. But the main thing is that we go to training, recover, work hard during the week and prepare for the big game. They’re a massive Italian team. It’s going to be a tough game and a big test for us and it will show how far we have come." (03/03/08)

AJ Ready For Carling Cup

Everton team mates, Lee Carsley and Leon Osman, thinks that AJ's return to form is a great weapon to have against Chelsea in this week's Carling Cup semi final. AJ scored on Saturday against Wigan.

Andy says: “As a striker you have just got to gamble – every ball put through you have got to chase down and hope for the best. I was pleased it fell to me and pleased to put it in the back of the net as well. It was a massive win – Wigan is a really tough place to come. We have lost a couple of the boys to the African Cup of Nations so it has been tough the last couple of weeks but the boys have dug in. We have got great strength in the squad. The main thing now is to recuperate and get ready for the big one on Wednesday. We have been in great form all season and scoring goals from all angles and we look solid at the back so hopefully we can continue that."

Ossie says: “AJ was terrific yesterday and he is a fantastic asset to have. He’s got such great pace, awareness and his team play is second to none. When you are under pressure or defending, you know he will always give you an outlet. He got a goal out of nothing at Wigan and it was down to great forward play. He is doing really well at the minute. We know what a quality player he is. He’s had a bit of bad luck with injuries this season but he has never let it affect him. He is proving all the time what a good finisher he is and he will be so important against Chelsea. It’s going to be a massive night for the club. Hopefully we can make it a fantastic evening.”

Cars says: “It is fantastic for the Club to get to the semi-final of the Cup and the score line is close at the moment. Chelsea have lost quite a lot of players but so have we so it is going to be a tight game. It is going to be a fantastic atmosphere and if we can score early who knows. He is a fantastic finisher. He does it in training all the time, he does not need six or seven chances – he is pretty deadly. It was a grind - the conditions were horrendous. From the amount of rain we have had over the last few days we knew the pitch wasn’t up to much so we knew what to expect. It keeps all the teams around us on their toes.” (21/01/08)

Wembley Dream

Having held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season, AJ is looking to go one better and beat the Carling Cup holders and set up a trip to Wembley

Andy says: “If we can go down there and get a draw or a win - it would be a fantastic result. You have got to be patient and you can’t go gung-ho down at Chelsea. And if we get a chance we’ve got to put it away. It’s the most important thing because you don’t get a lot of chances against the top teams so if one comes about we need to stick it in and the main thing is to keep a clean sheet as well.

This is why the boys joined such a massive club like Everton to win trophies. We’ve got so far and got so close this season and obviously it would be good to finish it off and try and get into the final. It would be amazing. I think everyone knows what it would be like and we all want to go down there and do well. We all know what could be just round the corner and we need to make that happen.

It’s a top, top place (Wembley) and I’m sure given the opportunity the fans will have a great day down there. I’m sure the Club would enjoy every second of it and obviously the boys are buzzing to play there." (08/01/08)

A Star Celebration

Andy has been celebrating with his letter "A" celebration together with many other Premiership goalscorers. It's all about A-Star, a new campaign launched next summer.

AJ says: "The celebration is about a campaign to get kids off the streets. It is a campaign that is going to be launched next summer and it is going to be 4-a-side street football which will visit estates all over the country.

"It is to give kids the opportunity the boys here at Everton have got and to show what they can do and they can achieve."The boys in the Premier League want to back it and it shows with the goal celebrations you have seen across the country – everybody has been doing it from the Premier League to the first division. One of my friends Fitz Hall has sorted it all and word has got about. And finally everybody has been asking about the A – it is A-Star.

"It is important to get kids off the street, there has been a lot of bad stories with kids across the country from London to Merseyside. It is a good opportunity for kids to get off the street and show what they can do." (05/01/08)

Ready For A Chance

AJ has shown tremendous character after loosing his place to The Yak. It was noted how he was the first to run on the pitch and congratulate Yakubu on scoring the late winner against West Ham to put Everton in the Carling Cup Semi-Final. He knows his chance will come and has already come off the bench to score in recent weeks.

Andy says: "To come on and score is great for me and it keeps my confidence high. I am training harder than ever. The competition for places is brilliant. We have got four or five top notch strikers and Timmy Cahill as well. The boys are working hard, it is keeping us on their toes. This is when we are going to need every single player in the squad. People like Victor, Faddy, Vaughany, Hibbo - we are going to need them because there is no doubt people are going to get knocks and there will be tiredness. No one is sulking, everyone is working hard to get in the team." (18/12/07)

Move Over Lads I'm Back

Great news for the Blues and bad news for The Yak, Big Vic and Vaughany, but AJ is fit and ready to go again for Everton. With competition tough at the Blues for the strikers, AJ is ready to join the fight for a starting berth come a week Saturday against Sunderland

AJ says: "It is going to be tough to get back in but that is the competition the boys want. Yak is a terrific lad and a great asset to the team. I was pleased to provide his first goal and he has carried on scoring goals and the team and the strikers have been in tremendous form.

We have got a great competition for places and this is the place where I want to be and want to stay and play my football. I am looking forward to the competition. It can only make you better as a player because you train harder on the training field. I am looking forward to the competition when I get back and hopefully I will get in the team." (14/11/07)

AJ Signs Until 2012

Everton have signed Andy Johnson on a 5 year contract until 2012. The club hope this will end speculation about AJ's future.

Andy says: "I am absolutely delighted. It keeps me here until 2012. I can carry on with my football now and concentrate on getting back fit and playing. It is great Club and there was no doubt that I was going anywhere. The rumours in the paper were rubbish and the fans that know me know that I am happy here. They can see from my performances that I enjoy my football here and I am happy to put pen-to-paper and am delighted. It started to get stupid really - it was coming out every two/three weeks. It was pathetic. Like I say the fans that know me know I am happy here and by signing a new deal proves it."

Bill Kenwright says: "We are absolutely delighted. It is fantastic news for Evertonians. This deal further underlines our commitment to keep our best players at our club. We continue to build for the future and Andrew Johnson is very much part of that future." (06/11/07)

Just Love It Here

Hopefully AJ has put to bed all these rumours about a return to London in the New Year. As far as our England striker is concerned he cannot wait to get back to first team action, start banging in the goals, as he just loves it, I said just loves it at Goodison.

Andy says: "All I care about and all I want to do is play for Everton and hopefully I can now come back better than ever. I love it here and can’t wait to be back involved with the lads again. It’s such a great place to play football." (03/11/07)

Nuremberg Return?

AJ has penciled in the Nuremberg UEFA Cup tie as his return to action after injuring himself against the skunks at the weekend. An operation on the England strikers troublesome ankle has gone to plan, and with the recovery time Andy's other problem his groin, should have time to settle as well. Basil the Magical Everton Physio is happy with AJ's progress.

Basil says: "The operation went great. Andy had a groin strain for two or three weeks. We thought it would be three weeks complete rest but he also had this ankle problem that has come on over a period of years so the two things tied in quite well.

We rested him with his groin which enabled him to be involved with the first team on Sunday, although not the full 90 minutes. But it was a good time to get the ankle done as well because he has found it difficult to really strike through the ball. The operation was very late on Monday, it went well and looks good and he should be back in about four weeks or so. We thought the groin would take up to three weeks anyway so we have killed two birds with one stone." (11/10/07)

Goal and Surgery

Even though he scored his first goal of the season at Newcastle today, AJ will undergo further surgery on his troublesome right ankle. This means he will miss the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia. A bigger blow for Evertonians is that he will miss the derby game.

Moyesy says: "Andy will have an exploratory operation on Monday and I would expect him to be out of action for three to four weeks. It’s a real blow for Everton because you could see today what we’ve been missing. We’ve known about this for a week or two and I have spoken to Steve McClaren about the situation." (07/10/07)

Carry On Taking Penalties

Despite Andy missing his last 2 penalties Everton are happy for him to carry on taking them.

Alan Irvine: "I would be surprised if Andy doesn't take a penalty again because his penalty record is very good over the years and there is no reason why we should panic too much about him taking them. Obviously the lad is desperate for a goal at the moment. I think the circumstances of him having to re-take the penalty were unusual to say the least. In those circumstances anybody can miss - we have seen plenty of other big players miss crucial penalties - English fans should know that better than me!" (26/09/07)

Goals Are Like Buses

Thirteen matches and six months since AJ last found the back of the net in a Blue shirt, but Moyesy is telling us that Andy is not low on confidence. Most Evertonians know that the England striker is playing his socks off for the cause, and like the proverbial bus, one the first one comes there will be a ruck of them following. Goals I mean not buses, he is short of goals, not public transport, ahh off for a cuppa now, do I have to explain everything to you all !!

Moyesy says: "I don't think AJ is low on confidence but he just wants to score and we want him to score as well. But we did not look likely to find the back of the net and we tried to swap it round to see if the other two forwards could score but nothing seemed to work for us. He needs a goal - probably the kind of easy one we let their striker have in this game." (25/09/07)

Sorry Lads

If a picture paints a thousand words, you know the song, and AJ's face did indeed tell the story after his two penalty misses in the UEFA Cup on Thursday evening. Not that one is needed but the England striker felt the need to apologise to his team mates, and us the fans after. Andy is adamant he will be a better player for this experience. Don't bet against him putting it right at Villa tomorrow.

Andy says: " From a personal point of view I was absolutely devastated and gutted. Footballers go through things like this but I would like to apologise for the fans because I am better than that and they know I am better than that. Obviously strikers go through things like this and there is only one way to put things right and that is out on the training field. I will come through this. These are the things that make you stronger. You have got to take the rough with the smooth. You have got to be big enough to take the penalties and big enough to risk missing them.

There was no doubt in my mind I would take the second penalty. No one else really wanted to take it so I stepped forward. I maybe wasn't as confident as the first one but I was confident I was going to score." (22/09/07)

It Will Keep Me Busy In The Week

Andy Johnson can't wait to get going in Europe with the Blues, as he is fed up sat at home watching the likes of manure hogging the TV schedules when its European week. The England striker is all to aware of the Blues last dismal effort on the continent, and with his team mates he is hoping to put that right in this campaign.

Andy says: "You’re normally sat at home in the winter on a Tuesday night watching Manchester United against whoever and you actually want to be there playing yourself. It’s the second time for the boys in Europe and they want to do a lot better. So if we can get the first game out of the way and get into the group stages we’ll be fine.

Everyone wants to play at the highest level and that’s European football and international football. We’ve got a great, great chance to do that and it’s going to be a good competition." (06/09/07)

Touch and Go

Basil Rathbone is not prepared to speculate on whether AJ will make Saturday's squad for the match against Blackburn. The England striker who withdrew from the National squad on Monday is undergoing intensive treatment at Bellefield on his injured knee. Vaughny out, Tiny out, AJ struggling, I'll bring me boots just in case.

Basil says: "Andrew had a bit of fluid on his knee after training with England on Monday. He was assessed by the England medical staff on Tuesday morning and they decided that he should come back to Everton for treatment. His knee is being assessed now by ourselves and it’s too soon to start speculating about the weekend." (22/08/07)

Knee Injury

AJ has left the England squad to get some fluid drawn off his knee and miss the friendly game against Germany. Word is that if it was a Euro qualifier, Andy would have played. Now he can take his time in an effort to be fit to link up with The Yak on Saturday. It's a possibility! (21/08/07)

Take Your Chance

Everton Skipper Phil Neville has backed striker Andy Johnson to take his chance when England surely come calling this weekend. With Everton old boy Wayne Rooney ruled out for the foreseeable future, AJ is with a host of other strikers in the hunt to start against Germany next week. Phil believes that if the Blues front man carries on as he has started this season, he will with his pace scare the crap out of the German defence.

Phil says: "AJ never let them rest for one minute, and that’s what he’s all about. I’m sure there will be a lot of talk about him playing for England next week now. I’m sure he would have played in the summer if he hadn’t been injured. He has carried on from where he left off last season - he terrifies defenders. He’s not just a goalscorer; his workrate is an example to every young striker in the game. He typified our spirit and work ethic. It starts from the front - and he’s up there with the best." (16/08/07)

Be Confident

Moyesy has challenged Andy to score goals and become an England regular.

Moyesy says: "Andy needs to become close to being in the England squad that will hopefully go to the European Championships next summer. I think he can see that opportunity now, but he knows that the way to do that is by scoring goals for Everton. I think his general play has improved a lot, and I’ve been saying to him I think he’s better than the 12 he scored last season. Sometimes he needs to exude that confidence more. If I’d scored 11 or 12 goals in the Premier League last year I would have been walking round with my chest out and saying, ‘Bring it on’.

But he’s quite a quiet and very humble boy. He works very hard for the team, but he needs to say, ‘Look, come on, I’m going to kick on here and be one of the top scorers in the Premier League now’. I think he can become one of those top scorers, but a lot will depend on the service we give him as well. He’s got more awareness and he has got much better with his hold-up play, but where we really want him is on the edge of defenders’ shoulders, always threatening to get in behind because that’s what he does best." (13/08/07)

Team Spirit And Top Players

Andy has highlighted that there are some top players at the club, as well as there being a special team spirit at the club.

AJ says: “The team spirit here really is something special. A lot of other clubs might have other great things but they won’t have that. I’ve been at clubs where you get people who are part of certain groups and you get four or five going off. Then another four or five go off and it’s not healthy, it’s not good. You need to stick together in everything on and off the field and that’s shown at this club and on these tours. You just can’t take away the fact that we have some top, top players here.

You talk about Mikel and Tim signing new contracts but to see Cars and Stubbsy still here, just in the changing room, is worth its weight in gold. And not forgetting the performances they put in last year. Stubbsy was brilliant, he was probably my player of the year in the second half of the season, and Cars was brilliant in that holding role.” (28/07/07)

I'm Staying Put

Andy Johnson has rubbished reports from earlier in the Summer that he was about to jump ship and head off back to the overcrowded hell hole which is London. The England striker is delighted that Mikky and Tiny have both signed new long term contracts and the only thoughts on his mind all Summer was getting fit and plotting a way of bagging more than the twelve goals he netted for the Blues in his injury hit first season.

AJ says: " There is no way I’m leaving here. No way at all. It never, ever, ever crossed my mind when I saw the stories. There is more to come from us and if I can keep injury free, you will see a lot more from me, all being well.

This is one of the biggest clubs in British football and when you see the likes of Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill sign new deals, it shows that we mean business. The club aren't going to mess about. We are going forward and I am so happy here. Tim and Mikky are sorted and I've got four years left. I'm not going anywhere. I scored 12 last year which was okay, considering the injuries. But the fans will expect more this time. I know expectations will be higher but I expect more from myself, too. I'm going to raise the bar and I want to get off to the start I had last year." (25/07/07)

Nice To See You Lads

Andy Johnson long not very hot Summer alone at Bellefield came to an end today when the majority of his team mates turned up for pre season training. Unfortunately there were no new faces to join the Everton boys, but hopefully by the end of the week that problem will be remedied.

Baz the Physio says: "I have been working with AJ, he's six weeks post-op and is running, twisting and turning flat out. He was resting this weekend and will be back with the players on Monday." (02/07/07)

Brand New Foot

Everton's record signing is ploughing the fields of Bellefield alone, and he could not be happier. Happy that is foot feels brand new, and looking forward to next week when he can start kicking a football for the first time in two months. By the time his team mates join him on July 2nd Andy will be reaching a good level of fitness, and no doubt raring to go for the new Premiership campaign.

Andy says: "I am doing some balance and strengthening work today before taking the weekend off and then I'll be back next week to do some ball work so that I'm ready to join the boys when they all return on July 2nd. I have been running at a decent speed to be fair. I have been running at three-quarter pace but I was tempted to bring my boots this morning and start kicking balls about.

But I know I have to be patient and I have got plenty of time on my side. Part of the reason for me getting the operation done early was so that I can come back early. I've had a ten-days break with the family and I'm back at Bellefield now doing some jogging with Baz and it's fine at the moment. It's brand new (foot) and it's probably the first time in two or three years that it's felt this good." (13/06/07)

Andy's On The Mend

Andy's corrective surgery on a ropey bone in his foot has proved a success, so much so that he was back at Bellefield on Monday for some light jogging. Physio Basil Rathbone ran the rule over AJ, and what he saw left him in no doubt that the England hit man will start pre season training with his team mates with no problems.

Basil says: "Andy was back at Bellefield yesterday just starting some light jogging. He’s fully recovered from the surgery he underwent at the end of last season and this work is to ensure he’s completely ready to join in with the other lads when pre-season training starts in earnest next month." (12/06/07)

You Can't Afford Him

Moyesy and Bully Beef have both moved quick to put an end to any speculation surrounding Andy Johnson leaving Goodison for the bright lights of Lahndan. West Ham are reported to be willing to shell out £15m for the England and Everton hit man, and offer him £90k a week, but if what we believe coming out off Goodison AJ will be starting the season with the Blues as they embark another European tour.

Moyesy says: "AJ was a top player at Everton last season and he will be again next season. The West Ham consortium wouldn't have enough money to buy Andrew Johnson or any other Everton player. And for them to think they could shows a lack of understanding of our game."

Bully Beef says: "We have had no contact from any club with regard to Andrew Johnson - nor would we welcome any. Whilst I feel certain there will be many Premiership clubs who will covet a player of Andrew's skills and abilities, he is an Everton player and, as he made perfectly clear on several occasions last season, he is very happy to be an Everton player." (04/06/07)

Everton 1st Team Squad 2007/08 / Andy Johnson 2006/07