Tony Cottee salutes the fans at the end of the Premier League match between Everton FC and Southampton FC at Goodison Park's farewell game on May 18, 2025. Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Former Everton striker Tony Cottee hopes the club’s new ground will provide a platform for a future spent challenging in Europe.

The 60-year-old said he found Hill Dickinson Stadium to be “wonderful” despite having held reservations ahead of his first visit given the emotional attachment he has to Goodison Park. They quickly disappeared once he was on the Liverpool waterfront, however.

Cottee said: “I was driving up from Essex and thinking what I am I going to feel like when I walk out … and it's not disappointed. It's a wonderful stadium and, for me, the best purpose-built football stadium in the country, in my opinion.”

Cottee, who scored 99 goals across a six year spell with the Blues, added: “Obviously, all my memories and all my goals here are at Goodison, but I must admit, I'm really impressed with the stadium. It's fantastic. It's a football stadium, built for football and that’s the main thing.

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