Gary Lineker was Everton's one-season wonder who left fans asking what might have been - but things could have been very different. The ex-England international joined the Blues in the summer of 1985 from boyhood club Leicester City for a fee of £800,000 following a tribunal.

Lineker went on to score 40 goals in 57 appearances in the solitary season he played for the club, including goals in all three Merseyside derby matches he contested. It is a total yet to be matched by any Blues player four decades on.

Yet despite Lineker's remarkable haul, Everton won nothing as they were pipped to a league and cup double by Liverpool. And after just one season at Goodison Park, then Blues boss Howard Kendall allowed the now Match of the Day presenter to move to Barcelona for £2.8 million.

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It is a transfer that is still being debated today. But as Everton's famous old ground prepares to host Liverpool for one final time, things could have been very different with Lineker lining up against the Blues for the Reds.

"Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton were all in for me," the now 64-year-old revealed to the Everton matchday programme when recalling his move to Goodison.

"Obviously they were dealing through my agents at that point, because I'd let my contract run out at Leicester, although in those days at the end of your contract you weren't on a free. The transfer fee was decided by a tribunal.

"But I was aware of the interest of the three clubs and it basically came down to whether I would sign for Manchester United, Liverpool or Everton.

"At that stage Manchester United weren't obviously the club they became under Alex Ferguson and with Liverpool and Everton, it was a tough choice.

"But I figured Liverpool already had Ian Rush and I thought I was quite similar in playing style and might find it difficult to break in there.

"Howard Kendall told me that Andy Gray was leaving and obviously I knew that he would be a tough act to follow, because he was loved by the Evertonians and quite rightly so. But in the end, meeting Howard made my mind up really.

"I knew about his playing career and then there was his personality - he was very engaging, very passionate, lots of fun and he knew how to speak to players and get the best out of them and make you want to play for him.

"I certainly don't regret that decision. It was a magnificent year, it was just a shame it was only a year."

Reflecting on his one season at Everton under Kendall, Lineker declared: "I've said this many times, that Everton are the best side I've ever played for.

"They were such a great bunch of lads and such great players and it's unquestionably true. I was at Barcelona when they were a side in transition, so I can say that absolutely honestly about Everton.

“I just wish I could have had another two or three seasons there before then going to Barcelona, but such is life, it throws up circumstances that sometimes make that difficult.

"If I'd have had three or four years at Everton and then experienced Barcelona, that would have been ideal. I watched the Howard's Way film when it came out and I thought it was great.

"It was obviously just a season before I got there and that was an unbelievable season for the club. I just wish we'd matched it the following season when we obviously went really close to winning the double."