Everton have identified a points target for this season as they aim to secure European football in their first season at the Hill Dickinson stadium, midfielder Tim Iroegbunam has told ESPN.
Iroegbunam, who joined Everton from Aston Villa in a swap deal worth £9 million ($11.8m) involving Lewis Dobbin in 2024, started the side’s opening game at the new stadium, a 2-0 win over Brighton and has become a first-team regular this season.
After 133 years at Goodison Park, Everton made the move to the Hill Dickinson this summer, a setting that Iroegbunam believes is fit to witness the Toffees’ first European finish since the 2016-17 season.
“For Everton, I’d definitely say [the goal is], coming high enough where we finish and can play in Europe,” Iroegbunam said.
“One hundred percent [Europe is the aim]. The gaffer’s gone on about it.
“We had a presentation at the start of the season [saying] how many points we need to be in those brackets and obviously all the team wants to play in Europe and we’re all striving for that.”
Everton began their quest for a top seven finish impressively and were unbeaten in their first five games in all competitions at the Hill Dickinson.
A 3-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last month may have halted their good run but it did little to dampen the feel-good atmosphere at their new home.
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“When we scored the winner against Crystal Palace, the noise created from the game was one of the highest in Europe,” Iroegbunam said of the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“You can just tell the fans love it. Even when you’re driving up to it and you’re looking at it’s massive. It just looks unreal.”
“It is a bit different and it’s not Goodison, obviously we were at Goodison for ages.
“It’s just about making it our home stadium and when other teams have come we have to make it hard for them to come.”
