The 2002-03 Everton F.C. season was Everton's 11th season in the

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

(known as the Barclaycard Premiership for sponsorship reasons), and their 49th consecutive season in the top division of English football. This meant that they became the first club to play 100 seasons in the top flight.

Season summary

After spending the last few seasons struggling against relegation, Everton, revitalised under

David Moyes David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player, who currently manages Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton. He was the 2003, 200 ...

, spent the season challenging for European qualification, at one stage going ahead of arch-rivals

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, who had finished runners-up the previous season. Everton memorably ended

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

's unbeaten run in a match at

Goodison Park Goodison Park is a Association football, football stadium in Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...

which saw teenage striker

Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was most recently the head coach of EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle F.C., Pl ...

score the winner, his debut Premiership goal. Rooney was later nominated for the

PFA Young Player of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the ...

award, but lost to

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

Jermaine Jenas Jermaine Anthony Jenas ( ; born 18 February 1983) is an English television presenter, football pundit and former professional footballer. He played as a central midfielder for English club sides Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Tottenh ...

. The club had less luck in the FA Cup. They were surprisingly knocked out by Third Division (now League Two) side

Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1886, the club were inaugur ...

in the third round.

Final league table

Results

Premier League

FA Cup

League Cup

First-team squad

Left club during season

Reserve squad

Statistics

Appearances and goals

, - ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Goalkeepers , - ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Defenders , - ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Midfielders , - ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Forwards , - ! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center, Players transferred out during the season

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2002-03 Everton F.C. season Everton F.C. seasons

Ever Ever may refer to: Music * ''Ever'' (Love Spirals Downwards album) (1996) * ''Ever'' (IQ album) (1993) * "Ever" (song), a 2010 song by Gackt * "Ever", a song by Flipper from the album ''Album – Generic Flipper'' * "Ever", a song by Diaura f ...