Everton defender Matthew Pennington is ‘desperate’ to seal a permanent move away from Goodison Park and could extend his stay at Shrewsbury Town, as he told the Shropshire Star.
A lot of time has passed since the Warrington-born centre-back came of age with a goal in the Merseyside derby in April 2017.
Four years ago, Pennington was enjoying a rare chance in the Everton first-team, starting alongside Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka in Ronald Koeman’s three-man backline at Anfield.
But with Everton lurching from one era to another over the next few years, Pennington got lost in the endless churn of transition.
The 26-year-old made just two more Premier League appearances following that goal-scoring display on the red side of Stanley Park.
After falling well down the pecking order under first Marco Silva and now Carlo Ancelotti, Pennington’s lifelong association with Everton looks destined to come to an end when his contract expires in June.
“I’m desperate to get to the next stage and be a permanent fixture somewhere and for somewhere to be my club and settle down, in my personal life and as a professional,” explained the former England U19 international, who joined Shrewsbury on loan in January.
“I get a family feel here (at the Shrews) which is positive for me, it’s the environment I thrive in.
“Sometimes people say it for interviews but from the first day I came here I genuinely felt it’s a family club, everyone who has greeted me and said hello has been brilliant, myself and my girlfriend and family have felt that. I like the area and have settled nicely.
“The guys here are great, I could tell it from day one. I wanted to stay around the boys (while injured) to feel a part of something. I could’ve gone back to Everton for treatment but I didn’t want to.”
Everton are unlikely to offer Pennington fresh terms, although it remains to be seen if Shrewsbury are as open to a permanent deal as he appears to be.
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