Jagielka Feels Time Ticking

Article by Paul Conatzer @TOFFEEPAUL

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Phil Jagielka isn’t getting any younger and at 32, the Everton captain might not be able to see the end of his career coming but he knows it’s there and waiting for him.

“I’ve just turned 32, so the amount of times I’m going to get into cup competitions is drastically coming down,” he said during a press conference.

Jagielka has been a solid central defender for both Everton and England. But, there’s a group he wants to join before he retires. It’s a pretty select group – Brian Labone, Kevin Ratcliffe and Dave Watson. The trio are former Everton captains and central defenders who have lifted trophies during their term as club skipper.

Tonight against Wolfsburg, Jagielka will take the first step on this season’s chase for a cup. After five years, the Blues return to European football when they host the German side in the first Group H game of the Europa League. Success in the Europa League would make Jagielka only the second Everton captain to lift European silverware. He would join Ratcliffe who hoisted the European Cup-Winners Cup in Rotterdam in 1985.

Jagielka has been frustrated by the wait for Everton to return to continental football. The last time Everton played in Europe was a 3-0 loss to Sporting Lisbon in February of 2010.

“So I’m desperate to finish as high as possible in the league and win one, two or three cups,” he said. Ratcliffe is the only Everton skipper to win two trophies in the same season.

Everton has a deeper squad than in previous European escapades, but manager, Roberto Martinez, will still have to juggle his line-up and blood some promising youngsters with perhaps the likes of Tyias Browning and Luke Garbutt getting some playing time. Ross Barkley, Brian Oviedo and Arona Kone are among the not ready to play yet group. Martinez has his eyes set on Everton becoming regular European campaigners.

“If we change the mentality and we are desperate to play in Europe consistently then that is when we move forward. With the experienced players we have in the squad I think we are ready to embrace that,” he said.

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