Yeah I was a big fan, too. I met him at an Apple Store in New York about a year and a half ago and he was a super nice dude. I think he was a really good servant for Everton, and for several of the years he was our keeper, I'd even argue he was top 3-5 in the league. But I think he's having a pretty hard time dealing with his declining form as he looks continuously more past it. That whole article, even if some of it was taken out of context, strikes me as the arrogance of a dude who came up before the American consciousness of good football is what it is now and sees himself as a sort of gatekeeper.
That said, Joel was way better than him last year.