(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has said his first experience of the Hill Dickinson Stadium atmosphere gave him ‘goosebumps’.

Maitland-Niles made an impact to remember at the weekend with his dramatic debut goal earning Everton a point against Manchester United.

The 29-year-old’s fantastic finish was arguably the best scored at Everton’s new waterside home to date, arriving deep into stoppage time to spark an eruption among the Evertonian support.

Maitland-Niles said he knew he was joining a loud fanbase after arriving from Lyon on deadline day, but admits the noise at Hill Dickinson exceeded even those expectations.

“It’s louder than Goodison – put it that way. And Goodison was really rocking when I was there. Goosebumps.

“Words can’t describe how I feel,” he said.

Maitland-Niles had limited time to get up to speed with the group before his debut from the bench, but said he has settled in well in the dressing room. He’s been impressed by the quality in the squad and is confident Everton can have a successful season.

“All the boys are great,” he added. “The gaffer’s great, as well. We’re looking forward to doing more work together.

“It’s a fighting team. From the first few days I entered the pitch with the rest of the team, you could see they’re fighters.

“If you’re not a fighter here, they won’t respect you. So, you have to earn your respect by fighting as much as they do – if not more.

“We’ve got quality out wide, quality in the middle, quality all over, so we can definitely do something this season.”

 

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

 Posted
07/09/2026 at
13:56:33

We need goals from all areas, as we can’t rely on Barry, although he seems to have improved on last season, still missing more than he should!

Well done, Maitland-Niles! I hope, now you know you can, you will more often!

 Posted
07/09/2026 at
14:09:18

“If you’re not a fighter here, they won’t respect you” — Great values.

You only had to see the crowd’s reaction to Jarrad Branthwaite putting his body on the line just as the referee was blowing his whistle to end the first half.

 Posted
07/09/2026 at
16:31:31

A wonderful moment for him, the fans and the team. A real pick me up after the clubs failure in the transfer market – 18 outfield players.

No free transfers in yet. We need 2 in my opinion a CF and a Defender, who can play at left back. No more squares in round holes. I suggest Icardi and Raphaël Guerreiro or Ricardo Pereira, who can play LB and RB.

How to get rid of these ads and support TW

© ToffeeWeb