Toni Duggan will leave the club this summer following the expiration of her contract - but her legacy as an Everton great is secured
Following Everton Women 's narrow defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last October, Toni Duggan walked into the media suite at Walton Hall Park with a special visitor in tow.
It was a sight that would have been almost inconceivable even a few years ago but now here was Duggan, part of an exclusive club of female players whose refreshing transparency is slowly but surely helping to break the taboo. “Whether it took me six months, 12 months or 12 weeks to get back, it’s still a big achievement," she said.
She voiced her incredulity at the fact improved maternity measures, entitling players to 100% of their weekly wage for 14 weeks, had only been introduced by the Football Association that same year, and highlighted a need to establish a more formal blueprint for how players train and stay fit during pregnancy.
She was named FA Women’s Young Player of the Year in 2009 and, the following year, was part of the Everton team that lifted the Women's FA Cup. Further success followed at Manchester City, where she won the Women's Super League , and then at Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. “Everyone at Everton thanks Toni for her service and commitment to the club," Alan McTavish, Everton Women Chief Executive Officer, said after Duggan's impending departure was confirmed on Wednesday. “From breaking into the Senior Team as a 16-year-old, to winning the FA Cup, she can be very proud of her contribution to Everton. We wish Toni all the best for the future.”
Whatever comes next, though, Duggan's legacy as an Everton great is secured and she has taught a whole generation of girls - on Merseyside and beyond - that with hard work, belief and a bit of Scouse grit, anything is possible.
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