Are Everton set to return to the US for a pre season tour? All of the signs point to yes as news leaks of a return to North America after several underwhelming pre seasons under Sean Dyche.
The Athletic has revealed Everton are in talks to take part in the Premier League Summer Series in 2025 but will not be confirmed until Premier League safety is assured.
Manchester United, Bournemouth and West Ham are also rumoured to be in talks and other could still be invited to the Premier League-branded series of games across the United States.
Everton were previously in talks to enter the tournament in 2024, which would have been the second year of the tournament. Unfortunately it did not lead to more than talks as the tournament was abandoned due to the top clubs refusing to participate as they could eanr higher revenue on their own tours of the US.
Instead the Premier League Summer Series has taken a year’s sabatical and Everton could be one of the teams to take part. It will only kick off in the second half of July after the end of the Club World Cup on 13 July, but it would be a more professional and money-spinning pre-season than the half-hearted tour of Sligo and a host of lower league English clubs – many of whom outclassed a strangely disinterested Everton side and coaching team.
It would mean up to three games against fellow Premier League sides with the winner judged on a league format, followed by goal difference and then head to head if teams are tied.
Manchester United, whose presence is said to be key to the tournament launching due to their large US fanbase, are expected to receive around £8m for the tour and while Everton’s share would probably be smaller, it is a key opportunity for exposure to the US market and merchandise growth.
It should be no surprise Everton are plotting a pre season in the US given the location of the club’s new Houston-based owners. They will be keen to see Everton grow their US fanbase and a tie at Houston’s 72,000-capacity NRG Stadium would be a huge occasion for the Friedkin’s.
A potential US tour would also be popular with David Moyes. In 2004/05 as he became a fixture as Everton’s manager, he led the team on shorter trips to Austria, Netherlands and Scotland. However, the following year he took the group to Mexico for a 5-2 win over Pachuca and a 3-1 defeat to America (MEX).
Everton were back to North America two years later with games against Columbus Crew and Club America, before a third US visit to play Real Salt Lake in 2007.
Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids were the opponents in 2008 as Moyes continued to take the team to America, followed by River Plate and an MLS XI in 2009. Everton briefly broke the streak to go to Australia in 2010 but went right back the US in 2011 to play Philadelphia Union and DC United.
Moyes is a big fan of warm weather training camps. During COVID he took West Ham to St Andrews in Scotland, where he praised the facilities but added: “I think what we’ve all missed, not just the players but everybody, is the chance to get away to warmer climates.”
During his time with Everton he spoke to the Echo about why he loves going to America. He has outwardly said his preparation for the season in which Everton stunned the league to finish 4th and secure Champions League qualification was a time was perfect and he has previously tried to recreate that magic.
“I am going to try and follow as close as possible the path we took in pre-season in the year we qualified for the Champions League as far as preparation is concerned,” Moyes told the Liverpool Echo. “That was our first year in America, we will go there again. That is the one year we got off to a really good start.”
Talking about that tour, a souce told the Athletic in 2020: ““The players worked hard, obviously, but for the first time the gaffer gave the lads a couple of days off. He let them go and have a few beers and take the next day to recover.
“There was a sports bar next to the hotel, and they would go in there and have a drink. The best thing was that nobody recognised them. The players could let their hair down without worrying and nobody was stopping them for pictures or anything else. During their time off in the day, they’d go shopping in the mall and buy presents for their partners and families. Some of them discovered Starbucks for the first time and got the taste for their coffee.”
Moyes has always added local games against the likes of Preston as early warm up games before jetting off to the US, followed by a home game against a European side. That could be Roma once again but it is likely whoever Everton choose will be the third test event at Bramley Moore and it could come early in the summer this time around.