Everton's Jess Park on "whirlwind" year, Anfield goal and World Cup dream
There is perhaps a no more extraordinary way to announce yourself as an Everton player than to net in front of the Kop in the Merseyside derby.
But, then again, Jess Park is proving to be an extraordinary footballler.
A player whose dimunitive stature belies a wealth of seemingly limitless talent. A player who has the ability to illicit gasps of incredulity from the home support and groans of despair from the opposition.
Therefore, it seemed fitting that the 21-year-old should score her first goal for the Toffees in spectacular fashion, as Brian Sorensen's side made light work of dispatching their arch-rivals at Anfield back in September.
Park has enjoyed something of a meteoric rise to stardom over the past twelve months, penning a new long-term deal with parent club Manchester City, setting the Women's Super League alight during her loan spell at Walton Hall Park and scoring just 79 seconds into her England debut in November.
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Her footballing journey began in Brough, a small town just outside of Hull whose most famous export - according to Wikipedia - is a first-class cricketer who died in 1942. It was there that Park joined a local boys' team, Elloughton Blackburn FC, before eventually switching to a girls' side at Hull College's Centre of Excellence.
"I loved every minute of playing with the boys and then it got to a point where, obviously, you can’t play with the boys forever so that’s when I moved to Hull," Park told Mirror Football.
"I didn’t know how I’d feel about going from playing with boys to girls. At the start, I wasn't sure about it but my dad said: 'oh, you'll get a new football kit' and all of a sudden I was on board."
Jess Park penned a new deal with Manchester City in the summer ahead of her loan move to EvertonPark's natural ability and appetite for hard work saw her earn a place York City's Regional Talent Club and subsequently a spot in Manchester City's academy. It was a dream come true for the youngster, who'd been a lifelong City fan and long-time admirer of their talismanic striker Sergio Aguero.
And it was only a matter of time before she was called up to train with the first team, signing her first professional contract in April 2020.
Park registered nine goals in 57 appearances for City before joining Everton on a season-long loan in the summer, and the winger's move up the M62 is so far proving to be a fruitful one; Park having notched five goals and two assists in 13 outings for the Blues so far this term.
Jess Park scored in front of the Kop at Anfield in September (Getty Images)"It's been absolutely brilliant," the 21-year-old said of her Everton career to date. "It's been kind of unexpected in a way. I came in and set my goals and they’ve kind of been surpassed.
"I love the girls here, I love the team and I love what Brian wants to do with the team as well so I’ve really enjoyed my first couple of months.
"That moment (in the Merseyside derby) was definitely a favourite for me. I think also the performances in general when we’ve played the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, how we’ve stuck together as a team and really tried to do what we’re trying to do, (it's been) great.
"They’re the really tough games and we’ve got a really good team that are ready to go up and fight against them."
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With Everton, Park is part of the youngest squad in the WSL - a team that continues to defy expectations after last season's dismal campaign saw them stutter to a tenth-placed finish following the dismissal of two permanent managers in the space of four months. Brian Sorensen's arrival in the summer signalled something of a new dawn for the Toffees, who currently find themselves in fifth place after a string of impressive displays against the likes of Tottenham, Reading and Aston Villa.
While the new manager seems to be assembling a side who look perhaps more capable than ever - at least in the WSL era - of going toe-to-toe with the league's conventional 'Big Four', Park is one of a number of Everton players whose services at at Walton Hall Park are only guaranteed until the summer.
Everton possess the youngest squad in the WSL (Getty Images)In addition to the 21-year-old, Chelsea's Aggie Beever-Jones and Manchester United's Emily Ramsey are also only on season-long loans with the Blues.
"It’s difficult in a way but, for me personally, I just put myself in the moment, and what’s important to me is right now and making the most of the season that I’ve got and the opportunities that I’ve got here," Park said
"It’s important to see that this is my team right now and I am buying into everything that we’re doing. It doesn’t matter how long that’s going to last, this is my team right now and I’ll do anything I can to help the team that I’m playing for.
"Brian has given me the opportunity to play week in week out and work with different players which has all helped to give me different experiences and that’s the thing that I needed.
"It’s really helped with my confidence and that was a critical thing I think I needed to develop. I need to have the confidence and go out and play how I want to play and I think Everton have played a massive part in improving that."
Certainly, Park did not look short of confidence when Sarina Wiegman called her off the bench to make her senior debut for the Lionesses in November. The 21-year-old had been on the pitch for little over a minute when she burst into the box to convert Ebony Salmon's sumptuous cross with just her second touch of the game.
"It’s a bit of a whirlwind still," Park said, reflecting fondly on her England debut. "It was a mad minute or two when I came on.
"I didn’t really expect it to happen but I saw Eb go in and I’ve played with Eb for a couple of years and I knew she’d get the ball to me so I just had to make sure I was in the box and fortunately I managed to score the goal. It was an unbelievable moment for me and I think a critical moment in my career."
Park netted her first England goal against Japan in NovemberAnd if the winger continues in her rich vein of form for the remainder of the season, it would surely come as no surprise if she were to amass a whole lot more critical moments in an England shirt, as the Lionesses travel to Australia and New Zealand for the Women's World Cup in the summer.
"That’s the goal," Park said, "but I’m looking at it game to game at the moment and making sure I put in the performances. As long as I’m doing everything correctly here at Everton then hopefully I can get a spot in that World Cup squad which would be the dream."
Regardless of whether Park makes the cut for Wiegman's 23-player squad, there can be little doubt that she is a player with the potential to be one of England's leading lights in the years to come. Though the 21-year-old is careful not to pay too much attention to the media hype surrounding her career's rapid upward trajectory, preferring instead to do most of her talking on the pitch.
Jess Park is seeking a spot in England's World Cup squad (Getty Images)"I’ve never been one to buy into (the hype) too much," she said. "I try not to listen to it too much but it’s great when you have the support of the fans. It’s a brilliant feeling but I just want to make sure I’m working hard to put those performances in for them and for the team.
"It’s great to hear all the good things people are saying about you but for me it just fuels me to work harder through the week and perform again to keep that buzz going."
Indeed, if the last few months are anything to go by, the buzz around Jess Park won't be dying down any time soon.
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