A lot has happened since my last column. England have qualified for the World Cup, Everton have had some terrific results in the Premier League, a Goodison legend has returned to the club…and my eldest son’s Sunday league team have won their first ever footy trophy!
England qualifying for the World Cup is brilliant for everyone involved in football. It gives the fans something to really look forward to and gives the eligible players something to aim for.
I was delighted for the lads, especially Bainesy, Jags and Ross of course. Was there a hint of envy? Possibly. I can’t deny that having broken into the squad last season I couldn’t help but wonder how great it must have been to be on the pitch when England confirmed qualification for Brazil but, at the same time, at this point last year I still didn't have a cap so I’ll always be grateful to Roy Hodgson for that.
I certainly don’t consider myself to be finished with international football though, but my focus is, and always has been, concentrating on my club football for Everton. It’s club football that gets players noticed and the World Cup is the biggest incentive there is.
I just hope now that people don’t start getting carried away and expect England to go to Brazil as favourites to win the World Cup.
To stay undefeated in the qualifying stages is a terrific achievement but there will be a lot of quality over there next summer and expectations, in my opinion, need to be level-headed. But, having said that, Roy Hodgson has done a fantastic job and we’ve got some brilliant young players coming through. So fingers crossed it'll be a good tournament for our country.
One of those young players is my Everton clubmate Ross Barkley. We’ve all been aware of his talent for many years at Everton - he came to train with us once when he was just 14-years-old - and it’s lovely to see him starting to fulfil the potential.
During my time with Everton the first-team players have often heard whispers about the next big thing to come through the Academy but, for one reason or another, a lot of them fall by the wayside. But Ross is a special talent who is already physically mature just like Wayne Rooney was and he’s started this season really well.
He’s a naturally shy and quiet lad and it was a massive step-up for him to join the England set-up but the lads have told me that he acquitted himself really well and he clearly has a great chance of making the plane to Brazil.
So, obviously, has Leighton Baines… and I’d like to think that I have contributed towards his great form this season. I had Bainesy in my Fantasy Football team but I decided to shake things up a bit and I dropped him from my XI before we played West Ham at Upton Park.
So what does he do? He scores two fantastic free-kicks and makes a mockery of my decision. I told him afterwards that I only did it to motivate him! He needed to up his game to secure himself a regular start in the Osman XI. This man-management lark is easy!
Away from playing we’ve had a few sporting challenges at the training ground recently. The evertonTV lads have been filming a nine-dart challenge where every player has to throw nine darts and the one with the highest score will win.
I’m not allowed to say how I did just yet but there was only one player ahead of me when I last checked. At the bottom of the table? Well, put it this way – I don’t think either Joel Robles or Johnny Heitinga would win many prizes if they went on Bullseye!
We’ve also had a table tennis table put in at the training ground. It’s early days yet but it’s already clear that some of the lads aren’t as good as they say they are! A few are still finding their level and so I’ll reserve judgement until my next column.
New coach Dennis Lawrence is very competitive and hates to get beat but he loves giving out the stick when he wins. And our kitman Shaun Doran certainly thinks he's a player... but he has surprised a few people. He gets a bit carried away though and I’m looking forward to accepting his challenge that he could beat me playing with a frying pan instead of a bat!
Talking of Finch Farm, I was made up when David Unsworth returned to Everton a few weeks ago to assist Alan Stubbs with the Under 21s. Unsy loves Everton Football Club and his own delight at being back is infectious. He hasn’t had a wide smile away from his face from the moment he drove through the gates at Finch Farm on his first day. He’s like a kid in toyland!
Stubbsy and Unsy were both in the team when I made my first-team debut at Tottenham Hotspur in January 2003 so it’s great to see them working together again helping the young players. They are still an excellent partnership, they just wear bigger shorts than they used to!
Incidentally, Espen Baardsen was in the Everton team that day I made my debut. I wonder where he is now?
One of my favourite ways to relax away from the football pitch is to watch my two sons play. The enthusiasm of all the players is a joy to see and they don’t let heavy defeats get them down too much. Which is just as well because a couple of years ago Cole, my eldest boy, played for a team that got a few hidings on Sunday mornings. But they all kept at it, they kept enjoying it and a couple of weeks ago they won their first trophy.
Cole was thrilled to bits and so was I. It was a great reward for all the effort and commitment that the parents, players and especially the coaches put in.
It’s not easy running a junior football team but days like that when they have the pleasure of winning a cup makes it all worthwhile.
The team plays in a kit sponsored by the PFA. It’s a great idea that means players can nominate a local amateur team to have a full set of kit bought for them.
He also plays for a Saturday team this season and the team is doing really well in their league but I don't get to see them very often and usually only get to hear about how they're doing from my dad as I tend to be a little busy on a Saturday myself!
My youngest son, Deacon, played his very first game recently. It was an under-six match, and it was really good fun to watch. It’s all about the kids enjoying themselves at that age. When they’re five or six they can’t take in much tactical information but they absolutely love playing football. One kid kicks it and the others run after it.
Although last week seven players ran after the ball and one was stood near the far corner flag pointing out funny shaped clouds to his dad who was pulling his hair out trying to get his son to chase after the ball!! Priceless!
Halloween is always a fun time of the year in our house and this year was no different. As I'm sure happens in every house the kids like to dress up to go trick or treating, and as the biggest kid in our house I can tell you, it’s a very exciting day!
My wife is trained in all different sorts of stage make-up and can make the most basic costume look incredible, with cuts, scars and all sorts of blood and stuff. So the kids and I get very into it each year and see if we can really startle the people who are kind enough to open the door to us.
To be fair the people were really nice this year and we ended up with a right good kitty of sweets that, unfortunately, I had to share with my kids! And Halloween means it won’t be long before we can go carol singing...
For the first time in a long while I found myself on the bench away at Aston Villa last week. We've now got a much bigger squad than we have ever had in the past and competition for places in the starting eleven is fierce. We are also at a period in football where teams don't win things anymore, squads do, so we’re pleased with how the manager has strengthened.
That being said, players want to play in every minute of every game. I certainly do, but to keep players sharp in the right areas of the pitch, managers like to rest and rotate. That’s certainly the positive way I'm looking at it. I was pleased to come on and affect the game as I did with a goal and an assist and, as in the previous week when Steven Pienaar came on to replace me and score the winner, it's up to the squad to get the result not just the eleven that start the game.
We've had a pretty good start to the season so far. One defeat in our first 11 games and three points off second is a good place to find ourselves at this stage, but it would be much better to be in this position with 10 games to go rather than 11 games gone.
Before I finish, I've got to mention Romelu Lukaku. What a start he’s made to life at Everton. We knew he was a good player but the way he hit the ground running has impressed everyone.
As you can imagine I have never been a centre-half in my life and when I see centre-forwards like Romelu Lukaku I am glad about it!
He has got everything and he is going to be a top, top centre-forward. It was a masterstroke by the gaffer to get him and the frightening thing is that he is only going to get better. In fact, I’d go as far to say that he is already under consideration for my Fantasy Football team.
And there’s no bigger accolade than that!
