- Darron Gibson played 69 times for Everton, scoring two goals.
- Everton won 52% of the matches Gibson played in his first two seasons.
- Regrets not seeing out his full contract term at Goodison Park.
Former Everton midfielder Darron Gibson has opened up about his departure from Goodison Park, admitting that leaving the Toffees for Sunderland was the wrong decision.
The 38‑year‑old, who made 69 appearances for Everton after signing from Manchester United in 2012, reflected on his career in an interview on The Long Game YouTube channel.
Gibson was brought to Merseyside by David Moyes at the age of 24. He went on to become an important figure in the Everton midfield, with the club winning 52% of matches when he played compared to just 25% when he did not.
Darren Gibson’s impact was such that he was hailed as the key link between attack and defence. But his time at Everton ended prematurely when Ronald Koeman told him he was not in the manager’s plans.
Darron Gibson: ‘My head had completely gone’
Darron Gibson recalled the moment Koeman delivered the news. “He pulls me into the office and goes ‘you’re not in my plans, so I’m like, alright fair enough,” Gibson said. “He said, but you’re on great money and you have a year and a half left, so it’s up to you, you can stay or you can go. I thought I’m not going anywhere, I’ll fight. Three or four months later my head had completely gone.”
The situation deteriorated to the point where Gibson felt he had to leave. “That January, Bryan Oviedo was going and my agent said they’ll [Sunderland] take both of you, and my head had gone, so I thought to just do it.”
‘I should have seen out the last six months’
Looking back, Gibson admits he made a mistake. “In hindsight I should have seen out the last six months and found somewhere from there,” he added.
His time at Sunderland was unhappy. “I did not enjoy my time up there, but I was injured a bit, being injured, I couldn’t shoot down the road to Danielle and the kids. I didn’t want to be there.”
The former Manchester United midfielder, who won two Premier League titles at Old Trafford, played only 30 times for Sunderland before leaving as a free agent. He later played for Salford City before retiring in 2021.
Gibson’s confession was honest and reflective about his time at Everton. “I don’t regret anything but hindsight I probably should have stayed at Everton and just seen out the last six months.”
For the Blues, Darron Gibson serves as a reminder of a player who, despite limited appearances, made a genuine impact when fit. His regret also highlights the pull of Everton, a place where even those who left still wish they had stayed longer.
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