Former Everton player Billy Kenny has spoken of his delight at returning to watch Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium, some 32 years after being sacked by the club he loves. The lifelong Evertonian and former home-grown hero is arguably the football club's biggest lost talent of the Premier League era.
A decade before Wayne Rooney came along at Goodison Park, Kenny was the son of an Everton player from the 1970s of the same name. He made his Premier League debut in the inaugural season of England's new-look top flight, in a 1-1 draw at home to Coventry City on October 17, 1992. Less than two months later, the teenager was named man-of-the-match as the Blues recorded a 2-1 comeback win over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. Having been handed a new contract, he seemingly had the world at his feet. However, a tragic and rapid decline into drink and drug abuse saw him sacked by Everton in 1994 after a mere 23 appearances and one goal.
A Turbulent Journey and a New Chapter
Comeback attempts for the England Under-21 international at Oldham Athletic and Barrow proved short-lived, and he was out of the game completely by his early 20s. With his addiction issues and continued turmoil in his personal life, Kenny would also have spells inside prison. Citing the death of his beloved mother Bella as the watershed moment that prompted him to finally turn his life around and achieve sobriety again after the best part of three decades of mayhem, Kenny, now 53, is opening up on his tumultuous journey with his book.
Written with help from the Guardian's Jamie Fahey, it is titled The Goodison Gazza, after the nickname bestowed on Kenny by team-mate Peter Beardsley, who had played alongside Paul Gascoigne at Newcastle United. At the time, it was meant as a positive moniker because of the youngster's similarities to England's Italia '90 World Cup hero as a dynamic midfielder, but both have since suffered badly with their off-the-field demons.
Return to the Mersey Waterfront
Appearing on a special edition of the Royal Blue podcast, Kenny, who grew up on Burlington Street, off Scotland Road, described how he attended Everton's new 52,769-capacity home on the Mersey waterfront for their 3-0 win over Chelsea on March 21, 2026. He told the ECHO: "What an experience that. A lovely stadium. I love Goodison me. It will always be my baby, Goodison, I love Goodison Park. I loved everything about it. The smell, the horse s**t, the hotdogs, the hustle and bustle."
"I went down there (to Hill Dickinson Stadium). I got invited by Anthony Murphy, he owns the Howard Kendall Suite, I've been in there a few times which is marvellous, he's done a great job in there. We got tickets for the game, right next to the dugout. I could touch David Moyes, that's how good the tickets were. The hospitality, what a stadium in there! I said to Charlotte (his partner), I'd love to run amok on there."
"Oh man, I was so close to the players. I love Goodison but we needed it, you've got to move forward. I started thinking we'll start attracting world-class players with a world-class stadium, but we just haven't. I don't know what's going on but the stadium itself is just second to none, it's a cracker. The fans deserve it. All we need now is some decent players on the pitch and happy days but when that's going to come, I don't know."
Everton Fans and a Stark Warning
Having watched Everton play Chelsea at home, Kenny then attended an away fixture at London Stadium the following month and enjoyed the experience despite a 2-1 defeat. He said: "Even when I wasn't going to the match, I was watching the games on the telly. I've always looked for the scores. Everton is my team, I love Everton. I like Everton winning because the fans are happy. That's all I'm bothered about. Those fans who go and pay their hard-earned money to watch the Blues."
"I went to West Ham away with a lovely firm. Tony Prince from Southport way invited me to go on their coach last season, that was a great journey. I just love the fans me. The first time I ran out at Goodison, they were singing my name. Everywhere I walk around the city, they all go: 'Eh, Billy,' and let on to me. They all remember that derby game. They never stop talking about it to be honest, it's been nearly 35 years. But I love talking about Everton, I'm proud of my achievements."
Although his senior career was lamentably cut short, Kenny still takes satisfaction from making it to the top but has a stark warning to those who are on that journey now. He said: "When all said and done, I played for Everton, I beat Liverpool. That was my dream that, beating Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, for me, was beyond my wildest dreams. But it happened, so it goes to show you can get anything in this life if you really work hard. I put a lot of work in to play for Everton."
"I was always chubby. I had to get rid of the weight and go through all the gears of the A team, B team, reserves, it's not easy but it can be done with a lot of hard work and dedication. First and foremost, being around the right people. It's important, you've got to be around the right people. For parents who have got kids that have got a bit of ability, make sure they're around the right people. Don't let them go out of the door with anyone because you'll get a lot of people coming into your life who weren't there when you were trying to make it but were there when you've made it."
The Goodison Gazza by Billy Kenny (published by Reach Sport, £16.99) is on sale now, with 25% off at reachsportshop.com.
