Tarkowski reveals important injury update and reflects on Everton career | OneFootball

Everton centre-back James Tarkowski has revealed the extent of the injury he sustained against Manchester City a few weeks ago.

He went down in the second half, immediately signalling for a substitution, and appeared on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football last night wearing a knee brace, as he steps up his recovery ahead of a return to first-team football next season.

The two-cap England international revealed that he is set to have the brace removed next Tuesday. “It looks a lot worse than it actually is. It just restricts my movement,” he explained. Presenter David Jones added that Tarkowski hopes to be back in time for pre-season and aims to be part of the Everton squad that walks into the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Tarkowski also expressed his disappointment at suffering the injury at a time when he was on the verge of setting a Premier League record for most consecutive starts. He was just three appearances shy of surpassing Wayne Bridge’s record of 114.

“I was fully aware. One of the staff at the club had done their research,” he said. “But I was very close—three short—so very disappointing. But at least I made the top three.”

The interview segment on the show went on to reflect on his career and his importance to both Burnley and Everton during his time in the top flight. Since making his Premier League debut in 2016, Tarkowski ranks first in clearances, headed clearances, blocks, and aerial duels won, underlining his defensive consistency.

A graphic highlighted his crucial role in Everton’s back line and his impressive clean sheet record, particularly notable given the club’s frequent struggles in the bottom half of the table in recent seasons.

Somewhat candidly, Tarkowski described his time at Everton as “a tough couple of seasons” and “an emotional rollercoaster with a lot of lows,” indirectly referring to boardroom instability, points deductions, and relegation battles as contributing factors.

However, he struck a more positive tone when speaking about life under David Moyes, expressing his admiration for the club and stating that he’s happy to be at Everton going into a "more positive" place next season.

Despite this latest setback, Tarkowski remains a key figure in Everton’s defence and is expected to play a significant role in the team’s plans next season.