Irish keeper Mark Travers makes €4.6m switch to Everton from Bournemouth to become Jordan Pickford’s back-up
Ireland goalkeeper Mark Travers says his summer move to Everton marks a “fresh start” in his career after signing a four-year contract with the Toffees today.
The 26-year-old has departed Bournemouth after nine years at the club that he joined as a 17-year-old and opted for a move to Merseyside in a deal worth €4.6m, where he will be back-up to first-choice goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The Maynooth man had been finding minutes hard to come by at the Cherries of late and after five league starts across the first half of last season, he spent the second half of the campaign on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough.
Competition at the club for next term was set to be fierce after Bournemouth agreed a deal to sign Chelsea’s ‘keeper Djordje Petrovic for £25m last weekend, with Neto and Alex Paulsen also returning from their loan spells. Travers has now completed his summer move to Everton where he’ll link up with fellow Irish internationals Jake O’Brien, and club captain Séamus Coleman.
Travers, capped four times by Ireland, departs the Vitality Stadium having made 82 appearances, including a man-of-the-match display in a win against Spurs on his top-flight debut in 2019.
Everton were in the market for a new goalkeeper following the departures of Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia. Now, with David Moyes’ side preparing for a new campaign in their brand new 53,000-seater stadium on Bramley Moore Dock, ex-Shamrock Rovers man Travers is relishing his new chapter after becoming the club’s third signing of the summer window.
“I’m extremely proud and excited to be an Everton player,” he said today, with the Toffees beginning the new Premier League season away to Leeds United on August 18.
“Coming in, you can feel how big this club is and the history that comes with it. You really feel that with the fanbase, the new stadium now as well and the direction the club is going in. It’s a fresh start for me to come up here and try a new chapter in my career.
“It’s a really exciting time to be part of this massive football club and I just can’t wait to get going.”
With Travers set to serve as back-up to England’s Jordan Pickford, Travers added: “Jordan is an outstanding goalkeeper for club and country. I’m looking forward to competing with everyone here and being a Premier League player.
“Being in this environment is huge. We’re going to push each other every day in training and whatever happens on the weekend, we’re going to be there for each other and make the most of every opportunity that comes.”
Travers earned his Ireland debut in September 2019 under Mick McCarthy but has struggled for caps since then with Caoimhín Kelleher and Gavin Bazunu ahead of him in the pecking order. His last cap came in a November 2023 friendly against New Zealand.
