Dave Williams works at a paper mill in the Liverpool area of England. He’s worked there since the age of 16. For more than two decades, Williams has worked overtime in order to pay for seasons tickets to Everton soccer matches for himself and his four sons.
Phil Jagielka is a defender for Everton. When he was in his early teens, Everton released him from its youth academy. But after Jags established himself as a quality defender for lowly Sheffield United, Everton brought him to Goodison Park, shelling out the largest sum ever paid for a Sheffield United player at the time.
It was a bargain. Jagielka became a fixture in Everton’s defense for a decade. He was named team captain and won a place in the England national team, playing 40 times for the Three Lions. Now, at the age of 36, his England days are behind him and he’s a reserve for Everton.
Recently, Dave Williams was halfway through his shift at the paper mill when Phil Jagielka showed up wearing a high visibility jacket, safety shoes, and protective goggles. He was there to help Williams with his work and, when the shift was over, to present him with a season ticket for the next campaign.
Jagielka’s good deed was sponsored by the club. But it’s typical of Jags to have volunteered to participate. It was also typical of him that, when the English squad was in Poland, the county of Jags’ origin, for the 2012 Euros, he led a small group of players (including Wayne Rooney) on a tour of the Auschwitz death camp.
Today, half an hour before Everton’s match against Arsenal, Michael Keane, the Toffees’ regular center back, was withdrawn from the starting lineup due to illness. Jagielka, who has scarcely played all year, took Keane’s place.
Ten minutes into the match, Jagielka scored. He thus became the oldest player to score in the English Premier League this season.
Jags then put in fine defensive performance, alongside the commanding Kurt Zouma, to help keep Arsenal from scoring. Everton won the match 1-0.
Everton’s performances on the pitch have given rise to plenty of frustration in the past 30 years. But the club maintains a strong connection with its fans, in part because of its good works off the pitch and in part because of exemplary way in which players like Phil Jagielka represent Everton both on and off it.
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