Francis Jeffers

Everton, Arsenal and England striker

A-League club: Newcastle Jets (two stints)

 

The Scouser attended the same primary school as Wayne Rooney a decade before the Everton and Manchester United star.

Jeffers was a young tyro coming through at the turn of the new millennium.

“The Fox In The Box” scaled the heights on the blue half of Merseyside and after debuting for the Toffees as a 16-year-old in 1997, became an England U21 goal machine.

His EPL form and huge potential got him into the senior England team, debuting at Upton Park against, coincidentally, Australia.

It was a 3-1 loss to a rampant Socceroos in 2003. Jeffers scored that day as Sven played his “Young Lions” in the second half.

It was Jeffers’ only England cap.

He was soon an Arsenal player with Wenger splashing £8 on a player who looked every bit a future Gunners great.

But he never became a club legend and Jeffers returned to Goodison on loan.

He drifted from Charlton to Glasgow Rangers, Blackburn, Ipswich, and Sheffield Wednesday over the ensuing seven years.

A career lifeline and a chance to start afresh came in from the A-League in 2012 at Newcastle Jets. 

There, he didn’t have any trouble going unnoticed on Newcastle’s streets.

His stint in the A-League was, oddly, for 10 matches only. 

He left the stunning beaches and cool lifestyle for Motherwell.

Jeffers (right) versus Victory in Melbourne

Clearly, Newcastle made an impression on him and Jeffers returned for a second spell at Hunter Stadium a year later, scoring four times in 25 games. 

He didn’t do enough to earn another contract and drifted to Malta for a year at Florians.

And after a number of trials around the world (including, it’s said, in Brunei) his last club was English lower-league outfit Accrington, finishing up as a 33-year-old.

A year earlier he attracted a court fine after being found with a broomstick outside his ex-father-in-law’s home (he’d separated from his wife at this point).

A talent, no doubt but injuries and frustrating career choices combined. We and the EPL didn’t see the potential of “The Fox" who turned out to be a damp squib in Oz.

Now, 38 and retired, we’re glad to see he’s putting back at Everton, working with their youth academy players at a club he’s always loved.