Out Till 2008

Unlucky Iain Turner will not see any action for the rest of this year, and it will be 2008 till he can resume his Everton career after going under the knife for his troublesome hip.

Basil says: "Iain will be out until the New Year. He has had a hip problem for around six months and we gave it every opportunity to try and allay surgery. But unfortunately after prolonged physio, he had a problem again kicking the ball. So we had to go to the next stage which was surgery." (22/10/07)

Sent Home

Everton's number 2 keeper has been sent home in an effort to be fit for the start of the season.

Mick Rathbone says: “Iain’s got a thigh strain. He did a lot of kicking early in the pre-season and it meant that he couldn’t train and he couldn’t play so it made sense to send him home for treatment.” (26/07/07)

Gunning For Number One

Iain has been back training for a few days ahead of the start of pre-season at Bellefield. The young keeper wants to push on. With Richard Wright out of the picture, Turns is gunning for the number one spot.

Turns says: “I have enjoyed my holidays so I am back trying to get a bit extra before we start the pre-season, which is a very hard time for the players. It is always hard work in getting ready for the new season. It was a precautionary thing, my groin is fine now and I am ready to get back in training. The way things stand I should be number two this season.

I'll be looking to push on and hopefully get the number one jersey off Tim. He had a phenomenal year to be fair to him and it's continued playing for America. So it is going to be a hard year, but I am looking forward to it. Towards the end of last season I was playing regularly and enjoying it.

Goalkeeper is a strange position. There is only one place; only one person can play there at the weekend - but we are all mates and work together every day. I’d like to think I have progressed and improved every year and hopefully that will keep going. I loved it at Sheffield Wednesday, and that is what I am after - first team football. You have more of a chance in starting pre-season so hopefully I can make my mark and show that I am ready. The team is going up and up and up so who knows where we will end the season.” (01/07/07)

I'm Staying To

Iain Turner has joined Big Vic and Vaughany in committing himself to the Blues till 2011. Turns has signed a two year extension to his original deal, and he is hoping in that time to put pressure on Tim Howard and establish himself as Everton's No.1. That's the spirit !!

Turns says: "It has been a not bad couple of weeks it has to be said. Luckily I was given a chance to go over and play at Wednesday. It is a big club and we had some big games and I thought I did well. I did enjoy my spell there and first team football is great but Everton is a very big club, they have offered me this contract and it is my ambition to become the number one here. Tim has been phenomenal this year and he deserves the number one spot but I intend to be fighting for it.

I have signed a two year extension to the two years I had left on my contract and I would like to think that in four years time I will be playing week in, week out. I had a good experience with Wednesday but it is here that I want to make my mark and I am looking forward to doing that." (03/05/07)

Iain Turner last season                Everton 1st Team Squad 2007/08