Sign up for the big Everton stories from a fantastic season so far Get the newsletter Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Everton are deadlocked with Chelsea on the final day of the Premier League season in 2011 when Jermaine Beckford lifts the ball over Frank Lampard's flailing leg on the edge of the Park End penalty area.

There are 15 minutes remaining but Seamus Coleman has been dismissed for a reckless tackle on Jon Obi Mikel early in the second period.

The rumble of the crowd begins on the half-way line but grows as the ball pops over John Terry. Beckford, somehow, has made it to the edge of Chelsea's penalty area and is bearing down on Petr Cech's goal.

The Gwladys Street roars expectantly before exploding. Beckford stares, arms outstretched, smile wide, as Leon Osman joins him in celebration. Everton lead 1-0.

David Moyes' side ultimately secured the win and Carlo Ancelotti was relieved from his position in the opposite dugout moments after the final whistle.

More than eight years later and Beckford has called time on a career that ranged from Wealdstone in the Southern League Premier Division to gaining six caps for Jamaica.

Aside from Everton, he enjoyed spells with Leeds United, Carlisle, Scunthorpe, Leicester City, Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End and Bury. It was a busy career for a man who admits he loves football.

After agreeing to an exclusive interview with the ECHO, it is clear there is much to talk about.

But there is only one place to start. Back to Goodison, back to 2011 and back to the edge of the Park End penalty area.

CLICK HERE for Fabian Delph on being a leader at Everton and where they must improve

"100% I’m going for it," the 35-year-old explains when asked about his first thoughts upon picking up the ball. "I just looked up and flicked it over Frank Lampard's leg as he tried to slide tackle me.

"As soon as I went past him I thought I’m off here, nobody is going to catch me. I was running towards the line, cut across the field, got a little bit of a lucky touch and I was looking at John Terry and [Branislav] Ivanovic, where those two were.

"I took my eye off the ball briefly, for a split second, and one of them got a touch on it but I read where he was going to flick the ball to.

"I managed to flick it up in the air, got past everybody, took it down on my knee, Cech came out, and I thought you know what, I’m going to do what I normally do here.

"My favourite finish is chipping it over the goalkeeper so that’s what I did! If in doubt, go back to what you know!

"Fortunately for myself, I saw him go down very early and I thought I’m just going to lift it. I got enough on it and fortunately it went over him into the far corner. It was lovely, absolutely lovely."

Beckford's crowning moment in an Everton shirt proved to be his last. A year after arriving on a free transfer he was allowed to join Leicester City in a £2.5m deal. But the striker admits the move to Merseyside was, in his mind, 'dead and buried' at one point.

He had bagged 85 goals in 152 appearances for Leeds when the Toffees came calling in 2010, with a winning goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round that January firing him further into the public consciousness during his final campaign at Elland Road.

By the time The Whites cancelled his contract the following May, Beckford had already held talks with Moyes and was left to wait for confirmation.

"I knew about the interest, but in football you hear about interest a lot," he says. "So I met with David Moyes, along with a number of other managers," he says.

"I didn’t really think anything of it, I just thought this is amazing, I’m meeting an amazing manager, someone who has been at the helm for a number of years and is well respected in the game.

"I thought even if it didn’t work out, and I didn’t end up going to Everton, it was an opportunity for me to speak to him and get a couple of thoughts and ideas on what he thinks of me, where I can improve and where my strong points are.

"It was a learning curve and it was great."

And then came the uncertainty.

"[Moyes] didn’t actually say anything for a number of months," Beckford continues.

"It was great to have been able to sit down with him and then when the season finished, a few days, maybe a week later, I got a phone call from my agent saying David Moyes wants to sign you now, is it okay? I was like, wow, yeah, great!

"I thought it was dead and buried so to have it resurrected and put to me, while I was a free agent, it was a no-brainer."

It had taken Beckford just four years to complete the meteoric rise from non-league to Premier League when he arrived at Goodison Park.

Despite not having played at a higher level than League One when he made his debut against Blackburn Rovers in August 2010, the forward had already taken the express route towards the top.

"When I first signed for Leeds, on the Saturday I played for Wealdstone in front of 35 people," he remembers. "Then on the Tuesday I was playing in front of 35,000 at Elland Road.

"That emotion, that feeling, that sensation, you can’t really put it into words. It was exactly the same again when I made my debut for Everton as well.

"I’m sitting there and I’m thinking wow, I’m playing non-league football and now I’m in the Premier League playing for one of the most historically unbelievable clubs ever. How on earth have I got here? It was absolutely incredible."

Beckford ended up as Everton's top-scorer in all competitions during his one and only season with the club. The goal against Chelsea shines brightest, but he also bagged a stunning first Premier League strike against Bolton as well as one at Anfield.

Chelsea, Bolton or Liverpool. Which goal is his favourite?

"It’s got to be the Liverpool one followed closely by Chelsea and followed closely by Bolton!" Beckford laughs. The goal, in fairness, had put Everton 2-1 ahead and on the verge of their first away derby win in over a decade before Dirk Kuyt equalised.

"Those are genuinely my top three, and my very, very first goal for Everton in pre-season against Everton Chile. That was my favourite one."

Beckford remains in close contact with former team-mate Tim Cahill - Tony Hibbert, meanwhile, is an 'absolute legend' - but it is clear Moyes had a strong impact on his career.

CLICK HERE to take on our BIG Tim Cahill Everton quiz

The Scot remained in charge of Everton for more than a decade before heading to Manchester United and his former signing believes modern clubs are missing out by not handing managers more control.

"They are able to implement their tactics, their style of play, not only things on the field but the times of the training, the times you go and eat, the times when you're going in the gym, the resting times, what type of food there is," Beckford says referencing Moyes, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

"These guys had control of absolutely everything. You don't find that very often anymore. These guys are successful in their own right because they can do everything their own way."

Joining Leicester City was a surprise move for Beckford who claims he ultimately had to leave Everton in search of regular playing-time.

"I'll be honest, I wanted to stay longer but it was the minutes," he admits. "I'm a football fan. I love to watch football and play football.

"I wasn't asking to play every single game but I was asking to play a few more minutes than I had done previously.

"When I was at Leeds, I played around 50 games that season, starting. Then I came to Everton, a completely different team, manager, everything, and I played around half of that.

(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

"I had the bug to play and was told I wasn't necessarily going to play as many minutes as I had done that season. I had a very, very difficult decision to make and it's one I always look back on and think I should have stayed.

"I'm also a true believer of everything happens for a reason. Since I left Everton myself and my wife have gone on to have two beautiful children and that might not necessarily have happened if we'd stayed."

But for Beckford - whose five-year-old son supports Everton and Real Madrid - he remains a keen follower of the Blues from his family home in Ormskirk.

"Listen, once you've had a taste of it there's no way you can go back. It's the People's Club for a reason," he adds.

"The people come first. I've said it numerous times in the past, from the very first day I stepped through the doors I've been welcomed and felt like I've been there for years.

"That's not easy to do. That will stay with me forever. Everton are one of the first results I look out for and I always hope we end up in the Champions League. Not so much the Europa League, the Champions League. I want to aim for the top."

Jermaine Beckford and wife Laura have recently launched their new Supernova Organ Vegan Protein Powder range.

Jermaine says: "My wife and I started concocting our own protein powder for myself and I noticed my stats were going higher and higher and I was getting fitter and fitter and stronger and stronger.



"Then one of the guys at Preston said what are you taking there, it's not the same as everyone else. I told him it was something I'd made myself and let him have a taste.



"He was like wow, can you bring me some in tomorrow? I said no problem and before I knew it I was taking in four or five shakes for different people.



"We took it to the drawing board, got a few people in who knew about the correct levels you're allowed to have before it becomes a detrimental effect, took out all the artifical colours, flavours, gums, presevatives and fillers that make it taste artifical and launched just over a year ago.



"It's been going just over 13 months and doing very well. We've just been releaed on Selfridges website, we're doing well on Amazon and our own website and we're in loads of gyms and delis and organic supermarkets.



"It's not something I ever thought I'd end up doing but it's come about and it's what people want at this time. We're going to develop a batch specifically for sportsmen and women and it should be out in January. It's a very exciting period of our life so far."

CLICK HERE TO SHOP AND FIND OUT MORE.