The former striker will be added to the list of Everton Giants at this weekend’s game against Manchester United
Gray speaks on beIN Sports about his new Everton honour
Gray speaks on beIN Sports about his new Everton honour (Image: beIN Sports)
Everton legend Andy Gray has shared his pride after being bestowed with a huge honour by the club. It was revealed this week that the former striker will be one of four players to be added to the list of Everton Giants.
The Blues confirmed in a statement that the quartet – Gray, Paul Bracewell, Kevin Sheedy and Derek Mountfield – would be inducted at the Manchester United game on Saturday. It will be the first time four players have been added to the club’s hall of fame simultaneously.
Speaking about the accolade on beIN Sports this week, Gray revealed it will be an emotional moment for him.
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“I feel humbled,” said the former striker. “I’m going [to Goodison Park] this weekend for the Manchester United game. There are four of us. Four from that amazing team we had in the mid-80s who were winning everything. Myself, Paul Bracewell, Kevin Sheedy and Derek Mountfield are the four inductees.
“Without a doubt [I had the best success at Goodison]. This game here [against Bayern Munich in 1985] is the one. If there’s one game I’ll take to the grave with me it’s this one.
“We played Bayern, who were the aristocrats of European football, even back then. It was the second leg, we were losing 1-0 at half-time and we went on to beat them 3-1. Then we played Rapid Vienna in the final in Rotterdam. We won the FA Cup too against Watford.”
“I got quite a few goals,” joked Gray, talking over a montage of some of his best Goodison moments. “Important ones as well!”
“I think what they’re doing with the new stadium as far as I can gather is that they’re going to actually make a walkway with all the names of the greats.
“They will be the size of paving stones I believe, so they’ll be quite prominent. It’ll be really nice. They’ll be in there forever, so that’s nice.”
In their statement, Everton confirmed all of the club Giants will be “immortalised with a specially engraved Stone to be laid in the Everton Way” at the club’s new stadium on the waterfront.
All four players will be present on the pitch at half time to receive the applause of the crowd, while the 1878s have created a bespoke banner for each of the players.
Gray won the FA Cup in 1984 with the Blues, before playing an instrumental role in the club’s league title and European Cup Winners’ Cup successes the following season. In total, he netted 22 goals in 68 appearances for Everton.
