Everton news: James Tarkowski replaces departed Séamus Coleman as Toffees club captain
James Tarkowski has been announced as Everton’s new club captain ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
The centre-back takes over from Séamus Coleman, who departed Merseyside at the end of last term following a 17-year spell with the Toffees, which included seven years wearing the armband.
Everton begin their Premier League season by welcoming Crystal Palace to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 UK time – and Tarkowski is optimistic about what lies ahead.
Tarkowski honoured by captaincy
In his captain’s notes for the season-opening clash against the Eagles, posted on the Everton website, Tarkowski said: “These are my first notes as captain, and I have to start by expressing what an honour it is to lead this team.
“To play for a massive club like Everton is special enough, but to follow in the footsteps of some legendary names as captain means a huge amount to my family and me, and it is truly one of the proudest moments of my career.
“I’ve had the fortune of being led at Everton by an outstanding captain in Seamus Coleman.
“So many people in football rightly acknowledge what an inspirational leader he is and, while I’m fully aware of the big task it is to follow on from him, I know it’s important to continue the high standards Seamus set day in and day out, and ensure everyone appreciates what it means to represent Everton.”
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‘Battling with the best’
Reflecting on the Toffees’ progress over the last few seasons, he continued: “I feel we definitely made progress last term.
“It was an important first campaign here at our magnificent stadium, with new ownership and a lot of new faces, and I think the whole feeling around the Club changed over the season.
“It was a big disappointment to finish 2025/26 as we did and miss out on Europe – but there was so much good work for us to build on this time around.
“Like everyone connected with Everton, I want this club to be right up there battling with the best.
“It’s where we should be.
“We’ve been through some tough moments during my time here, but there’s a totally different feeling around the place these days, and we have every reason to be optimistic about the direction we are heading in.”
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Crystal Palace clash awaits
On facing Crystal Palace in the curtain-raiser, Tarkowski added: “We know [Saturday] won’t be an easy start for us.
“Crystal Palace have enjoyed some fantastic achievements over the past few seasons, winning the FA Cup and UEFA Conference League in that time, and they possess some talented players in their squad.
“That includes a familiar face for us in Dwight [McNeil] who moved to Selhurst Park in the summer.
“Dwight is a close friend of mine, having been a team-mate at both Burnley and Everton, and we all wish him all the best at Palace.
“We’re looking forward to having Evertonians behind us again.
“It’s been said many times – and for good reason – but our fans are up there with the best in football.
“With you behind us, the quality we have throughout the squad, a manager who knows all there is to know about Everton and playing at this superb stadium, we can have genuine confidence for the season ahead.”
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