14. James Vaughan - 07/08

Out For Season

Vaughany has been hit by another injury to his knee during the week at Finch Farm and is currently in America with the renowned knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman. It looks like he will be out for the rest of the season. James has been jinxed with injury problems since he became the youngest Evertonian to score for the club in 2005.

Moyesy says: "The knee just locked a couple of times in training and it is terrible luck for the boy. We don't know yet whether it is the same problem as before but it is the same knee. We decided he should have the operation now rather than wait until the end of the season and he has to be a doubt for the rest of the campaign." (08/03/08)

Goals

A win in Norway on Wednesday and a goal for James Vaughan is what the Everton striker wants.

Vaughany says: "We just need to go out there, hopefully get a couple of goals, hopefully get a win - then bring them back here and the fans will do the rest for us! The boys are very confident; we’ve been doing very well so we just need to carry on. I’m getting a bit frustrated now, I think it’s about time I got a goal, so that’s the next thing. Obviously everyone wants to play and I saw it as an opportunity to try and get that position for myself so I tried to give 100 percent for the team." (12/02/08)

Vaughany's Staying Put

Moyesy has dismissed claims that James Vaughan will be loaned in the January transfer window so he can get some first team footy under his belt. Vaughany finds himself behind The Yak, AJ, Big Vic and Faddy at present, but with games, games, games coming up for the Blues, Moyesy will need his Baby Faced Assassin around to fire the Blues up the table and on to Cup glory.

Moyesy says: "Vaughany had a really good finish to last season and we have got big hopes for him. He is coming back in and he is looking much sharper. He looks like he is ready.

He has probably had to stand back a bit and he will have seen what Yak and AJ are doing and realise the consistency that is required and the goalscoring that is required too. Hopefully he will be learning from them. But there is not even a chance of him leaving on loan. Not in the slightest. We rate him so highly. Nobody has bothered asking and, even if they did, they would get the same kind of answer.

He has got competition. Victor has done really well, Faddy has got important goals for us but Vaughany will get more of a chance now. He played a big part for us at the end of last season and I can see him playing a big part for us at the end of this season. He could quite conceivably have started the season for us and, but for injury, that might have happened. He had done that well for us at the end of last season that we were thinking of him that highly." (05/01/08)

Surprise

The best thing that happened last night was to see Vaughany back in an Everton shirt. He got the call with 20 minutes left in normal time. After his injury against Preston in pre season it has been a long haul and now he's back, we have serious competition up front. Good stuff.

Alan Irvine says: “It was very pleasing to see James Vaughan back. It looked like he was in a bit of a rush to be back but it was good for him to play. He only joined in full training yesterday and was probably the only player out there who was glad for extra time!”

Tim says: “Before the game, we had been talking about how long it was since we had played in the same team together and I was delighted to see Vaughany get on. We spent a lot of time together when we were doing our rehab work. He deserves some good luck now and hopefully he won’t look back from here. I’m so pleased he’s back and I’m so pleased we won.(01/11/07)

Fireworks in November

James Vaughan is back running again after his pre season injury sustained at Preston. The young striker has been set a target of November for his reappearance, and we all hope that the England U21 Striker will have a better run of luck on his return.

Vaughany says: "I only started running this week but at the moment I’m just trying to get the full range of movement back in my shoulder. Once that happens, it shouldn’t take too long to get it back up to full strength.

The coaching staff and medical team have set the target for me to return by November and that remains the plan but it would be great if I could come back a bit before then and I’m quietly confident. It’s just a question of being sensible. It’s not an injury that can be rushed. If I haven’t got the movement there, I can’t come back. It’s that simple. But I’m pleased with the way things are going. It’s been frustrating because you feel like you can run around and kick balls but if I fell on it now, the same thing would happen again." (07/09/07)

Out Until November

Vaughany has had an operation to repair his dislocated shoulder. It went well, but he will be out of action for four months.

Mick Rathbone says: "James dislocated his shoulder which is a nasty injury in a professional sportsman and it always needs repairing. He has been to the specialist today and things are going tremendously well but we are looking at an estimated time of four months, certainly no less." (05/08/07)

Quit

Vaughany's best mate at Everton, Victor Anichebe has revealed that after this latest injury setback, James thought about quitting.

Vic says: "He wanted to give up because he was thinking ‘how can this happen to me again' but it's not a career threatening injury. It's the timing because he was doing so well and to get put back again is tough. He's alright now but at first he was a bit shook up. I was completely gutted for him because he's worked so hard to get back from his last injury and now its another setback. But he's fought back before and he'll do it again. He's that kind of person. He's a fighter and I know he will come back stronger. He just needs everyone around him helping him and pushing him. We're close mates and so I speak to him a lot. He's just chilling out at the moment." (24/07/07)

Andy Gray !!

Has Moyesy been at the whisky whilst in the States, as he likens young Vaughany to old Everton war horse Andy Gray. Seriously though, Moyesy see's in James the committed style that made Andy such a Goodison hero back in the 1980's. One bit of advice however James, when your back from injury, and banging the goals in again for fun, don't go running into goal posts, or you to could end up earning millions pontificating on Sky Sports every Sunday afternoon.

Moyesy says: "It’s absolutely heartbreaking, but for him more than anybody. It’s a big blow to us but a bigger blow to the boy. The challenge that injured him was innocuous but we talk about him being like Andy Gray in a lot of ways. If he changes his style he wouldn’t be the same player so we don’t want him to change his style. We want him to stay very committed so from that point of view that’s what is in him and sometimes with that type of player injuries do come along. But we are disappointed because he is a young boy who has made big strides." (23/07/07)

4 Months

We got the bad news today that James would be out of action for up to 4 months. Good luck Vaughany and keep your chin up.

Basil says: "James dislocated his shoulder against Preston. The fact of the matter is, if a young professional sportsman dislocates his shoulder traumatically you have a 95 per cent chance it will happen again. We feared he would need surgery. He saw the shoulder specialist in Liverpool on Thursday and he agreed he would need surgery.We expect him to be out for between three and six months - hopefully about the four month mark.

James was absolutely devastated when we took him off the park. He had rationalised a little by the time I went to see him later in the hospital and he had his family around him. But his reaction when we took him into the dressing room is probably the most upset psychologically I have seen a player in 30 years, he was devastated." (21/07/07)

Several Months

It will be several months before Vaughany will be donning the Royal Blue after being stretchered off in last nights friendly at Preston. James fell awkwardly after an aerial challenge, and all Blues in Deepdale held their breaths as the medical team spent several minutes with Vaughany before he was stretchered from the pitch. Basil Rathbone is with Vaughany today as the young striker under goes scans, and depending on the results, an operation may be in order. Get well soon Vaughany, your Team needs you.

Basil says: "James Vaughan dislocated his left shoulder and it was put back in at Preston Royal Hospital and he was allowed to leave afterwards. He is having a scan in Liverpool today and seeing a shoulder specialist this afternoon. Based on this, a decision will be made on whether he requires surgery or not. If he does require surgery, which we have to say is more likely, then we are talking about a recovery time of months rather than weeks." (19/07/07)

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday Vaughany. Just 19 and playing up front for the Toffeemen. What a dream. Let's hope he can strike a partnership with AJ. It looked good for 65 minutes yesterday.

James says: "It was the best way to celebrate really, with a goal and a good performance from the team. It was really enjoyable. I like playing with AJ"But I like playing with all the strikers here and you just go out there and see what you can do."

Moyesy says: "I think we all know what James Vaughan is all about. It is great when you say he is only 19 isn't it? It makes you realise how much he has done for someone so young and we just hope his improvement continues." (15/07/07)

Happy With The Supply

Jimmy is chuffed that both Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta have signed long term contracts, as the two players are the main supply for him to get his chances.

Vaughany says: “It is good for the team but I need service from players like Mikel and Tim to set me up with goals. Mikel and Tim are two of our most influential players. It is a boost for us all and it underlines the togetherness in the squad.” (05/07/07)

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