Leon Osman shares ‘outstanding’ verdict after what he’s seen at new Everton stadium
Everton legend Leon Osman has said what he’s looking forward to the most as the club prepare for their move to Bramley-Moore Dock next year.
Speaking on the Liverpool Echo‘s ‘Goodison Park: My Home’ podcast (11 July), Osman said the new stadium’s opening matches will bring the intensity so often relied on by the Goodison Park crowd.
Acknowledging the emotional difficulty in leaving Goodison, Osman added that the club and fanbase must do all they can to make their new ground feel like ‘home’ straight away.
Osman said: “I’ve been to the new stadium (and) seen it progress through different stages of development.
“It’s going to be outstanding. The venue itself, the way the new stadium looks and what it’s going to mean to us.
“What it’s going to feel like when they step on the pitch for the first time, it’s going to be intense, it’s going to be exciting. “I’m upset to be leaving Goodison, but I can’t wait to get in this new stadium and make it a real new Everton stadium.”
New Everton Stadium set to open new possibilities for the club
Osman will be far from the only lifelong Toffees fan set for an emotional 12 months as the club play out their final season at Goodison Park, and fellow ex-players have shared his sentiments.
Filling the 52,888 seats at their new home will reportedly see the Toffees more than double their current matchday income, amounting to roughly £40million in additional revenue [Kieran Maguire, 8 July].
Having a beacon of hope on Liverpool’s waterfront – particularly in a season which has seen them mired by points deductions and Premier League relegation battles – is one of the factors which attracted incoming owner Dan Friedkin to the club [the i, 18 June].
With the Friedkin Group steering a brand new ship, the Toffees are well placed to embark on an upward trajectory, something the club haven’t been able to look forward to with comfort in a very long time.
In other Everton news, Manchester United have held internal talks over a transfer for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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