Six of Everton's best-ever loan signings

Lukaku for me, financially and ability wise

but Kevin Campbell was the most influential

Pienaar was amazing, I think the closest thing we've had to him since is our man Iliman Ndiaye.

Can't argue with Kevin Campbell, undeniably the biggest impact I've ever seen from a loan signing.

Barry, yes again, Rolls-Royce of a player.

I might be tempted to push Brian McBride ahead of Donovan however.

I'd actually put Aaron Lennon before Landon Donovan. I like Landon but Lennon really cut the mustard when he arrived here, worked his nuts off.

Special mention for Anthony Gardner? Only kidding haha..

I tend to forget he was actually on loan with us initially.

Harsh on Wales as it hit Johnson's arm from a De Bruyne shot and he had his arm almost behind his back.

Lukaku, Campbell and Arteta were all very good loan signings. If there is one thing the club needs this summer, then it's good signings, whether they sign permanently or just on loan to begin with, like Alcaraz.

Good goalscorer though, not great.

No doubt Dave will come on here about a loan signing in 1951.

Just got a WhatsApp showing a report that is saying Forest, have written to Uefa complaining about Crystal Palace being able to enter next season's Europa League competition because they currently have dual ownership with another of next season's entries, Lyon.

Hopefully we have got something similar to worry about this time next season.

I preferred him wide than central though. Just an opinion.

That made me laugh Peter. Imagine what Dave and John Mac could come up with!!

Tony, don't start me. You know what I'm like with my pre-season predictions for Everton.

I have read that Palace's ownership are trying to relinquish their stake to focus on Lyon. I don't know how legitimate it is.

Imagine asking every young Evertonian if they would sooner win the cup with the team they play for or would they sooner watch Everton win the cup?

I'm certain it would be Everton who would get every single 100% of the vote!

Ah no loan signings in 1951 as you know, Peter, but I wouldn't mind going back to that year — I'd be ten or eleven and playing for the school juniors, just like Charlie and Sam have just played for their teams now.

Mind you, my team never won anything, so congratulations to both of them and good luck with their future football. Well done — you can't beat playing and enjoying football.

Posters on here are very knowledgeable and will always put you right but this is the kind of article worth reading at this time of year. Well done.

- Sander Westerveld. Ex-RS, brought in for four weeks when all 3 of Everton's goalkeepers (Martyn, Wright and Turner) were out injured. Played a couple of games I think.

- Espen Baardsen. Another GK, brought in for 1 match. I haven't bothered looking it up but pretty sure that was away at Tottenham. We conceded 4.

- Brett Angell. Brought in twice on loan, solo appearance each time. Did enough for Mike Walker (candidate for worst manager in PL era) to sign him, and went on to score a solitary goal.

- Ian Durrant. Brought in on loan around the same time as Duncan. Only played around 5 games. I remember one of them away at Palace. To quote our former, late manager, Walter Smith. "Disappointing".

- Mitch Ward. Another one brought in loan and played a single game, which was apparently enough to sign him up permanently. From Sheffield United. I think this was HK III showing he'd started to lose his judgement...

- Tommy Johnson. Signed from Celtic when clearly his average days were behind him. Was truly a depressing time to be an Everton fan. Apparently played 3 games, and I think I was there at one of them, but remember absolutely nothing about it.

(Dis)Honourable mentions to:

- Lu Weifeng (1 appearance? Think it was Southampton away - I was there and we lost).

- Rodrigo (apparently Rodrigo Beckham!!) - although I think injury scuppered what could've been a promising Everton career of flattering-to-deceive.

- Ibrahim Said. Nothing can be said of his appearances, as he made none.

- Franny Jeffers. Return of the Prodigal Son. Fox in the box and doyen of Merseyside taxi drivers returned and in 18 appearances, failed to score.

- Matteo Ferrari, Segundo Castillo, Jo, and Royston Drenthe (with the basement nightclub) - I've lost the will to write more about their forgettable time at the club.

I think if Moyes had played Royston Drenthe, although definitely a playboy, in that semi-final v Liverpool instead of the pathetic Magaye Gueye, we might have seen a different result.

For 62 dreadful bleedin' minutes, Moyes kept Gueye on the field before taking him off.

Dave, did you have remind me about that semi-final? You're worse than Tony. I'm driving this afternoon and need to concentrate on the road, not having flashbacks!!

By all means allow the Championship clubs and below to take players on loan.

You got me thinking about loans. I remember reading about how they were used during World War 2, including a certain W. Shankly of Preston who helped our loveable neighbours to a 4-2 derby win.

I also think Manchester Utd were allowed to borrow players following the Munich disaster.

Further reading took me to discover a case in the first FA Cup final. Harrow Chequers did not enter the tournament, but they loaned a player to Wanderers, who was listed on the team sheet as A H Chequer.

I have heard of teams making use of a “ringer”, but I can’t believe any teams in local leagues around here would stoop to such skullduggery!

Like yourself I have only read about these games being too young to go or even remember any of those played although I remember reading about Joe Louis, the heavyweight champion of the world at the time, being made an honoury member of Liverpool FC, a great champion Joe but it looks like he wasn’t very bright!

Further to your post about Man Utd borrowing players after the Munich disaster, they borrowed Ernie Taylor from Blackpool and Stan Crowther from Aston Villa and they were both allowed to play in the FA Cup Final that year. Although one them, Ernie Taylor I think, was not cup tied, having not played in the cup with Blackpool that season.

I think Crowther might have played against them in the previous 1957 FA Cup Final. Man Utd borrowed Bob Hardcastle(?) from Blythe Spartans, the famous amateur team, and another young player who they signed permanently later on, whose name escapes me at the moment, but I think he played for England later on — a winger, if I'm not mistaken.

Man City (Girona) and Man Utd (Nice) applied to Uefa and got approval. If there are independent boards in place at both clubs, the multi-ownership issue can be taken out of the equation.

It's all a bit of a grey area, as one of the caveats is that the owners can't be involved in the decision-making. I presume this means directly relating to the competition, because they aren't going to stop their oversight of their clubs.

One thing that Uefa did insist on, however, was that Man Utd couldn't sign a player they were about to from Nice. Man City were able to sign a player who had featured for Girona, because he returned to his parent club, Troyes, at the end of the previous season.

It's all very murky.

Westerveld was the 5th goalkeeper to represent Everton in a run of 5 consecutive league games. This included the 3 you posted, plus John Ruddy who came on as a sub after Iain Turner was sent off against Blackburn.

If I recall correctly, we won that game against Blackburn, despite the red card?

An unconventional 11, but would do well enough.

It has to be the worst decision ever, bringing him in, mate.

I think playing Glen Keeley in that game might go down as one of the worst decisions Howard Kendall ever made, the lad wasn't match fit, hadn't played that season through injury.

He told Kendall he wasn't match fit, Howard told him he'd be okay — so he played and proved he wasn't match fit!

Shows how rule changes affect games when you consider the FA Cup Final this season.