Tarkowski trusts Toffees decision

JAMES TARKOWSKI could be forgiven for having a tinge of remorse after turning down Aston Villa last summer.

Steven Gerrard, Villa’s boss at the time, is said to have paid a visit to Tarkowski’s Cheshire home to try to entice the defender, who left relegated Burnley on a free transfer.

In the end, the England international joined Everton – and he has no regrets, even if Villa are chasing Europe and Burnley have fasttracked back to the big time under Vincent Kompany.

Despite Everton’s serious plight, the defender said: “My focus is completely on Everton and I don’t regret joining this club.

“My time at Burnley was up if they stayed up or were relegated. I signed here hoping we can go the other way and I am sure over the next few years we can do that.

“We’ve seen in past what this club could be with the fans.

But it’s about

The chairman invited me down ages ago and I hadn’t been able to find the right time to go.

“Relegation definitely hasn’t been the end of the world for them, that’s for sure.

“But it’s not something that we want to happen.”

Tarkowski and the rest of Everton’s dressing room have the extra motivation of ensuring survival for captain Seamus Coleman.

The Goodison skipper suffered a nasty injury in the 2-2 draw at Leicester and looks set to miss the rest of the campaign.

And that has reverberated through the club.

“Seamus is such a good leader and captain, he’s a great talker in the dressing room, so he’ll be a big miss,” Tarkowski (left) said.

“When he speaks everyone listens and his love for this club is unrivalled.

“I have never seen a player love a club as much as Seamus loves Everton.” With the pressure biting, Tarkowski says ‘super calm’ boss Sean Dyche is leading from the front.

He said: “He’s been in this position so there’s definitely no panic.

“We don’t want to feel we’re fighting for our lives every day.”