Everton Women’s new signing, Rylee Foster-Inman, sports a Liverpool-inspired tattoo, having been a lifelong supporter of the Reds.
The Toffees announced the return of the Canadian goalkeeper on Wednesday, following her previous short stint with the Blues in 2024.
The 27-year-old signed from Halifax Tides, having previously developed through the ranks at West Virginia Mountaineers before joining Liverpool in January 2020.
Now back on the blue side of the city, the shot-stopper expressed her excitement at the prospect of playing in front of the Goodison Park crowd.
However, Foster-Inman possesses a strong connection to the city of Liverpool, and awkwardly carries a ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ tattoo on her skin.
While she played in red, she revealed she did it in tribute for her grandparents: “I got the tattoo in 2014 after my grandmother passed away.
“My grandparents are both from Wavertree in Liverpool but moved away during the war.
“It’s just a commemorative thing to show that they are always with me.”
She added: “I’ve been a Liverpool supporter since I was walking and since I knew what the game was.
“For me to be able to sign there and bring back my family name into the city where it originated has been an honour for me.”
Foster-Inman also admitted it was a dream come true to sign for the club that she supports in 2020.
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‘Everton Is About Core Values’
Re-joining Everton, she emphasised how much the city of Liverpool means a lot to her.
She said: “To represent the badge and to be in the city is what matters most to me. It is super exciting.
“Everton is about the core values of how hard you work and what it means to represent the badge.
“Everyone here is on the same beat and we all work hard. The team is very unified and it has a ‘never-say-die’ attitude.
She added: “It is awesome to be at this remarkable stadium, too. Goodison has always been a very important stadium to the club and its fans.”
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Overcoming the crash
Since her first spell on Merseyside, Foster-Inman has endured a traumatic, life-altering event.
In 2021, the Canadian experienced a horrific car crash in Sweden that left doctors questioning whether she would ever walk again, let alone return to professional football.
She suffered an extensive list of injuries: Neck fractures, lower-back breaks, a broken cheekbone, partial tears in the knee and shoulder, and brain damage.
It was only upon returning to Liverpool for specialist assessment that doctors discovered her neck fractures were dangerously close to severing her arteries, which would have proved fatal.
Reflecting on her recovery, she said: “It was catastrophic, the doctor said he had never seen it this bad. He said, given the injuries I had, I should not have been breathing or talking on my own.
“Football just wasn’t a thing, I was just trying to fight for a quality of life at this point.
“My personality and the way I come across is like I’m bulletproof. To see me at my worst like that, and being so vulnerable, was really hard for people.
“The first two weeks were really dark for me, I had no idea what was going to happen, but then I just became happy I was alive eventually.
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“I survived something nobody should have, my injuries alone should have killed me. I had a euphoric feeling that I could not explain, but that also wore off.
“It got to the point where I was just angry and mad.”
Rebuilding her WSL career
Everton became her first professional club following the incident as she bravely rebuilds her career.
She said: “I am happy playing now. When you are out of the game, it is hard to find your identity again. The accident gave me opportunity but took away my biggest passion. You lose that love for the game.
“For me to be back in the WSL, amongst the best of the best, I feel that love and desire. I’m being challenged and tested every day which is what I want.
“That challenge is what I was craving. I have that here. Back in a league where anything can happen.”
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Exactly 731 days after the crash, she was back training between the sticks after being released by Liverpool at the end of her contract in 2022.
Reflecting on her departure from the Reds, she added: “Business is business. I was an asset that could not perform which is the cruel reality of football.
“At the end of the day, do I have hard feelings? No. I’m back in the city that I call home and my family is from. I have the opportunity to represent a club [Everton] which is just as established and historical.
“It is awesome. We are trying to grow the game; I have respect for both sides. I am honoured to be back playing.”
