EPL: The Best Everton Team I Can Remember

Firstly, I am 22 years old.

Supporting a club that was founded in 1878, 22 years is a very small sample size—but it will have to do.

I do not remember the early 1990s, not due to my drug-induced Madchester phase, just because I was a small child so legends like Graham Sharpe (who left in 1991) and Kevin Ratcliffe (who left in 1992) are omitted.

Feel free to chastise, praise or mock, but most importantly, post your own best Everton squad in the comment box below.

GK: Neville Southall

Who else?

He was Everton's No. 1 for 16 years, he had 750 appearances for the club, two F.A Cup winners medals, two League Titles and a European Cup Winners' Cup medal.

What a career.

Considered one of the best goalkeepers to play in England, Southall is an Everton legend and is a permanent fixture in any "best ever" Everton talks thanks to his years of service and 269 clean sheets.

Southall was the last goalkeeper to win the FWA Player of the Year and is currently a P.E teacher.

LB: Leighton Baines

Everton's best current player by a country mile, Leighton Baines has cemented his place at Everton after a shaky start to his Toffees career.

Following his move from Wigan in 2007 for £6 million, Baines was kept out of the side by Joleon Lescott for much of his first season, but gradually made the left back position his own.

One of the best crossers of the ball in the Premier League, Baines is a constant threat to Ashley Cole's crown as best left back in England, with many on Merseyside thinking that Kirkby-born Baines has already eclipsed the Chelsea player.

CB: Dave Watson

Another Everton legend and the last Everton captain to lift silverware for the club after the famous victory over Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup final, Dave Watson was a lock for this team.

He made over 500 appearances for the Blues and even managed the side toward the end of the 1997 season following Joe Royle's resignation and was a first-team regular for 14 years.

A centre half of the old breed, Watson was capped 12 times by England and had to endure some of the toughest relegation battles Everton Football Club have faced.

He is now Youth Team Manager at Wigan Athletic.

CB: Alan Stubbs

Alan Stubbs took over the local lad role Dave Watson had vacated when he joined the club in 2001 from Celtic.

Stubbs, who survived testicular cancer, immediately won Evertonian's over when he stated upon arrival that it had always been his dream to play for the Blues.

In his first stint with Everton, Stubbs helped the club to a seventh placed finish, their highest since 1996 and was integral at the heart of the Everton defense.

After refusing to renew his contract due to a 'cancer clause' that Everton required, Stubbs moved to Sunderland for a year but came back home and admitted his heart belonged at Goodison.

Stubbs is now a coach at Everton, working specifically with the Reserve Squad and Youth team.

RB: Tony Hibbert

I really can't remember anybody else playing right back for Everton.

Tony Hibbert is of the old school.

A one-team man, Hibbert is the current incarnation of Watson, Stubbs, etc., the club veteran at 30.

Since making his debut in 2000, Hibbert has played over 200 Premier League games for Everton and is famously yet to score a goal.

Hibbert has played more games in Europe for Everton than any other player in the history of the club, and while he has never been spectacular, his service to the club merits his place on this team.

LM: Steven Pienaar

When Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines linked up for Everton, it was a thing of beauty.

It seemed as though they each intrinsically knew where the other was during their time together at Goodison Park.

In his youth Pienaar was considered one of the best players in a fantastic Ajax side, but his career suffered when he moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2006.

Everton rescued Pienaar on loan in 2007 and was eventually signed for £2 million the following year and shined in a great Everton midfield.

Awarded Player of the Season honours in 2009-10, Pienaar's pace and trickery were vital for Everton's attacking play.

Pienaar left Everton in disappointing circumstances, joining Tottenham Hotspur in a cut-price deal in 2011 after over 100 Everton appearances and 12 goals.

CM: Mikel Arteta

The best little Spaniard we knew.

Mikel Arteta was another David Moyes find when he joined Everton on loan from Real Sociedad in 2005 January transfer window.

After a string of great performances that helped Everton to qualify for the Champions League, Arteta was signed for £2 million the following summer and went on to become a fan favourite.

Beginning his footballing career at FC Barcelona, Arteta was magic on the ball with great distribution and a set-piece specialist.

Injury hampered Arteta's later seasons with the club, but in his prime the Spanish midfielder was integral to everything Everton did on the field.

He left for Arsenal this summer and we wish him well.

CM: Tim Cahill

With the sort of passion and pride that Tim Cahill shows for Everton Football Club, you'd think he'd been here a lot longer than his eight years.

Cahill almost signed for Crystal Palace in 2004 before he agreed terms with Everton in a £2 million deal.

Since then, Cahill has become a permanent fixture in the Everton side and is one of the best-loved players in the current squad.

One of the best aerial players in the game, his timing and heading is second to none and his goal-scoring ability has carried Everton through many tricky games.

With nearly 200 league games under his belt and over 50 league goals, Cahill is already an Everton legend.

RM: Andrei Kanchelskis

One of my favourite Everton players ever, Andrei Kanchelskis may have only had a brief stint at the club, but it was a memorable one.

Signed for £5 million (a then Everton record) from Manchester United, the Russian winger was one of the best players in England in the 1995-95 season and his 16 League goals helped Everton to a sixth place finish.

After scoring a brace against Liverpool that season, Kanchelskis rightly became an Everton favourite.

Before he was able to re-produce his fantastic first season form, Kanchelskis was sold to Fiorentina for £8 million and his career stalled.

After a move to Rangers in 1998, Kanchelskis became the only player to score in the Merseyside, Manchester and Glasgow Derbies and ended his playing career in Russia in 2007. He is now manager of Russian club FC Ufa.

CF: Duncan Ferguson

Love him or hate him, Duncan Ferguson is part of the fabric of modern the Everton.

In three spells with the club, Ferguson scored over 60 goals and made over 200 appearances for the Blues.

Originally he was brought in on loan from the Rangers in 1994, but was later bought for a club record £4 million by manager Joe Royle.

Ferguson was infamously sold to Newcastle during a game by chairman Peter Johnson without the consent of then-manager Walter Smith. Both him and the Everton faithful were devastated by the move.

Injury hampered Ferguson's career at Newcastle and he moved back to Everton two years later, but his injury woes followed him back to Goodison.

Used mainly as a substitute by David Moyes, Ferguson's match-winning goal against Manchester United at home was a career highpoint.

Ferguson captained and scored for Everton on his appearance for the club against West Brom and has recently returned to Everton to help coach the youth teams.

CF: Wayne Rooney

Controversial.

Growing up, Wayne Rooney was Everton Football Club for a lot of people my age.

Age nine, Rooney scored 99 goals in a season. By 11, it was 115. He was playing for the Under 19s at 15 and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Tottenham age 16.

The striker was brash but brilliant, and following his "Once a Blue, Always Blue" stunt in the FA Youth Cup Final against Aston Villa (a game Everton lost 4-1), he endeared himself to Evertonians everywhere as a real Blue.

Rooney scored one of the most memorable goals in Premier League history when he netted against Arsenal in a 2-1 win that announced the striker to the rest of the world.

From his goal away at Leeds to when he languidly put his hands on his hips whilst dribbling against West Brom, Rooney was everybody's favourite until his transfer to Manchester United.

While Rooney played less than 80 times for Everton and only scored 17 senior goals, the striker is the most talented player the club has ever produced.

Sub GK: Nigel Martyn

Another Everton stalwart between the sticks, Nigel Martyn was snapped up for pennies by David Moyes and 100 games for the club.

Originally signed as a back up to Richard Wright, injury gave Martyn his chance in the first team and he never looked back.

Martyn was instrumental in keeping Everton in the league in the 2003-04 campaign and made himself a Goodison hero following a phenomenal performance against Liverpool that season.

Another fantastic season in 2004-05 helped Everton break the Big Four monopoly and finish above Liverpool for the first time since 1987.

Hailed by Moyes as his best-ever signing, Martyn was forced to retire due to injury in 2006 and has since become goalkeeping coach at Bradford City.

Sub: David Unsworth

Defender David Unsworth, affectionately known as Rhino during his two spells at the club, scored the first goal of David Moyes' managerial tenure.

A product of Everton's youth system, Unsworth played 300 games for the Blues in two spells at Goodison Park.

Unsworth started alongside Dave Watson at the heart of the Everton defense in the 1995 FA Cup Final but could also be deployed on the left side of defense.

A penalty extraordinaire, Unsworth scored over 30 goals for the club and was given a heroes welcome when he watched the Merseyside derby from the Gwlayds Street in 2005.

Rhino is now First Team Coach at Preston North End.

Sub: Graham Stuart

Nicknamed 'Diamond' during his time with the Blues, Graham Stuart is Everton's favourite Cockney.

Stuart scored twice in one of the most important games in Everton history when the club beat Wimbledon 3-2 on the last day of the season to secure their Premier League survival.

Those two goals alone are enough to merit a place here.

Stuart hit the bar in the FA Cup Final the following year which set up Paul Rideout for the winning goal.

After 138 appearances for the club and 22 goals, Stuart left for Sheffield United but played better football for Charlton Athletic later in his career before retiring in 2005.

Sub: Lee Carsley

Lee Carsley has traveled around a fair bit during his career but played his best football for Everton.

Signed from Coventry City in 2002, Carsley was the linchpin of the Everton midfield and made up one half of the bald duo at the heart of the Everton midfield with Thomas Gravesen.

Carsley's winner in the 200th Merseyside derby put him forever in the heart of the Everton faithful, but his solid, consistent performances and ability to break up opposition play were his trademarks.

After more than 150 games at Everton, Carsley moved onto Birmingham and then back to Coventry were he is now coach of the Under 18 squad.

Sub: Daniel Amokachi

Everyone has their favourite players, and Nigerian striker Daniel Amokachi is mine.

The Bull won an Olympic gold medal with his country in 1996 and won me over when he scored twice against Tottenham in the FA Cup semifinal in 1995.

Legend has it that Amokachi substituted himself on against Spurs much to the dismay of manager Joe Royle.

Amokachi then scored twice and the rest is history.

Amokachi never really reached the heights he should of at Everton and may not deserve his place on the list, but he's my favourite and sometimes, that is all the matters.