Everton defender James Tarkowski has set sights on securing qualification for European football with the club, after penning a new two-year extension on Wednesday.
Tarkowski, 32, joined the Toffees in 2022 from Burnley on a free transfer and is now set to remain at the club until the summer of 2028.
The England international has developed into an integral member of the squad and has made over 100 appearances in all competitions since his debut under former manager Sean Dyche.
He missed only five league matches last season with injury and has captained the team in all their seven league matches in the 2025/26 season.
“I’m super excited and proud to be an Everton player and to continue this journey”, Tarkowski revealed.
“It’s been a crazy few years with some big lows and some massive highs. We’ve managed to get through those tough times and hopefully now we’re on to more positive and exciting times ahead.”
Everton last qualified for European competition in the 2017/18 season, failing to make it beyond the group stages.
However, they have enjoyed a great start to the season, picking up 11 points from their first seven league matches and sit eighth on the English Premier League standings.
“It’s always been an ambition of mine to play European football. I had a brief spell with Burnley in the qualifiers but we didn’t make it to the group stages, so I want to get there”, the defender continued.
“It’s the manager’s goal, it’s our goal as a team and, so far, we’ve started pretty well. Of course, it could have been better but we’ve had a decent start and we’re definitely striving to get into those European spots and bring European football to our new stadium.”
The Toffees visit the Etihad Stadium to play Manchester City in their first match after the October international break.
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