James Tarkowski named new captain of Everton ahead of 2026/27 season

Everton have officially handed James Tarkowski the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 Premier League season, confirming what has been one of the worst-kept secrets in English football for the past few weeks.

The 33-year-old centre-back steps into the role vacated by Seamus Coleman. Tarkowski’s appointment is less a surprise and more a formality, given that he already wore the armband in 36 of 37 Premier League matches last season.

A captaincy earned on the pitch

Tarkowski joined Everton on a free transfer from Burnley in July 2022, arriving without the fanfare that typically accompanies marquee signings but with a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most reliable defenders.

Starting all 37 Premier League matches he featured in during the 2025/26 campaign, Tarkowski was the definition of a manager’s first-choice pick.

Off the pitch, Tarkowski’s credentials got an additional stamp of approval in May 2026 when he received the PFA Community Champion award.

His commitment to the club was already cemented in October 2025, when he signed a contract extension keeping him at Everton until June 2028.

Filling Coleman’s boots

Born on 19 November 1992, Tarkowski brings the kind of experience that comes from navigating different chapters of English football. His years at Burnley, where defensive organization was practically a religion, shaped him into the type of player who understands what it means to fight for every point.

Reports from 6–7 August 2026 indicated that Tarkowski was to be named captain following Coleman’s exit, with BBC confirming those expectations on 12 August 2026.

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