Players to watch in 2022-23: Ben Godfrey

It’s so far been a ‘patience required’ transfer window for Everton; not only for the players we haven’t yet managed to bring in, but the painful waiting game of hanging on to key players we already have – and need to keep.

2021-22 saw the realisation of one outstandingly-strong character in Anthony Gordon, step up from being a promising youth player, to a young man in what is still a man’s world.

But Gordon’s Premier League debut in a 2-0 defeat in 2020 at Southampton was not only overlooked by Lucas Digne’s red card – his debut also coincided with a very well-functioning 4-3-3 team, brought down to Earth, suddenly glittering with stars old – AND new.

Another of the latter was a recent 22-year-old signing from a then-relegated Norwich City.

You won’t need reminding that his name is Ben Godfrey.

But many observers have been all-too-readily consumed with Everton’s latest plunge down the League table, to remember just what a player Ancelotti, Brands and Moshiri had together brought to our club – AND were getting a lot of mileage from, in 2020-21.

This – dare we remind ourselves – was when lockdown #1 had effectively screwed us out of a full, thorough preseason’s rest and preparation.

For sure, it didn’t help anyone in the long run, but it was something we’ve badly needed for quite some time (Euro 202120 and a delayed change in manager – we won’t go there).

But for the many players at Goodison now who weren’t involved with any Summer duties, yet have high hopes for Qatar; now has been the time to reset and re-focus.

Needless to say, Frank Lampard didn’t just sign on the dotted line himself because he has enough in him to know our distant and not-so-distant past – as a football fan and player. In the October 2020 visit to Goodison Park he oversaw in a 1-0 away defeat for Chelski, Lampard will have noted both our club’s ability to claw results – along with the alarming percentage of possession we unavoidably have to surrender along the way.

Much to do; much potential to work with.

He may have lost his most valuable player in Richarlison.

We hope he’s done enough to persuade others to stay (and hope too that he and the top brass don’t have to get greedy with offloading as many one-trick-ponies as our payroll and squad could allow).


I for one am REALLY excited at the prospect of a still-young Ben Godfrey being allowed to be not only an aggressive tackler, but (in James Tarkowski’s presence) a mobile, progressive footballer – with possession, as well as without.

There were glimpses of what John Stones so majestically did in the Chelski games of 2015-16 from Holgate and Keane in the latter half of last season. Not to pile misery on his predecessor, but Lampard’s decision NOT to define his players’ positions too narrowly would’ve had greater effect had there not been so many of these one-tricksters, failing to accept individual responsibilities, laced throughout the squad.

But we saw far more of the dynamic, positive decision-making play from Ben Godfrey in 2020-21 than that one slip on a wet Sunday evening against bottom and relegated Sheffield United. IF Lampard unlocks this talent again: with Chelsea at home in the opener – then we’re in for a potentially-exciting season.

With Tarkowski joining a defensive unit boasting 1st-choice full-backs in Vitaly Mykolenko & Nathan Patterson, plus very capable understudies throughout the back line; that rest and full preseason has potentially resolved one area of major concern.

Hang on to (arguably) the best penalty-stopper in the world (Jordon Pickford) –
and it’s the midfield energy & a credible source of goals to free-up a closely-targeted Dominic Calvert-Lewin that are now the major priorities for transfers in.


Newcastle United have been rumoured to be looking closely at DCL and Gordon.
Godfrey’s name has very much been whispered too in the not-so-distant past.

So long as the player learns quickly to deal with crosses in playing presence of our free transfer arrival, I hope we all get to enjoy far more of the REAL Ben Godfrey in 2022-23 – and beyond…