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In our weekly series during the close season, we let you decide who is the greatest player to have played for some of England's top clubs. We continue with a selection of Everton legends.

Here is our shortlist of eight greats with the Eurosport-Yahoo! top three at the bottom.

So leave your thoughts below, vote in the online poll and we'll give you the fans' verdict on Saturday.

Alan Ball (pictured, centre)

Ball might be best known for his man-of-the-match performance in the 1966 World Cup final, but the diminutive midfielder enjoyed an equally illustrious club career spanning 22 years and over 800 games. During his five-year spell at Goodison Park between 1966 and 1971, Ball inspired a generation of young Evertonians to take a white paintbrush to their boots in an attempt to emulate their hero. As part of the Holy Trinity alongside Colin Harvey and Howard Kendall, he helped Everton to the 1969-70 league title and the 1968 FA Cup final, scoring 66 goals in the process. Ball died of a heart attack in 2007.

Dixie Dean

William Ralph Dean's catchier nickname is still synonymous with outrageous goalscoring prowess. Dean scored 383 goals in 433 appearances for the Toffees between 1925 and 1937, and still holds the record for most league strikes in a season - banging in 60 goals in 39 games as Everton won the 1927/28 championship. Another 45 goals four seasons later brought another title to Goodison Park, and the following season Dean lifted the FA Cup as Everton captain. He overcame his fair share of knocks too, fracturing his jaw and skull in a 1926 motorcycle accident and losing a testicle after a particularly brutal kick to the groin.

Colin Harvey (pictured, right - Howard Kendall on left)

The original 'white Pele' spent 11 seasons as a player at Goodison Park before going on to give nearly 30 more years of service to the club as a coach and manager. On the pitch, Harvey was one third of the Holy Trinity and a major contributor to the club's success during the 1960s. He scored the winner against Manchester United in the 1966 FA Cup semi-final. Alf Ramsey's unwillingness to experiment and the presence of Bobby Charlton meant Harvey made only one appearance for England. Now works as Bolton Wanderers' chief scout.

Brian Labone

Imagine the uproar if a player rejected Fabio Capello's call-up to the England squad for the 2010 World Cup because he was getting married. Yet this is precisely what Labone did in 1966. The central defender's decision cost him a place in English football's greatest hour, but seems somehow appropriate in the case of a player for whom Everton always came first. The central defender made 534 appearances between 1958-71, won two league titles and an FA Cup, and is considered the club's greatest captain - possibly because of quotes like this: "One Evertonian is worth 20 Liverpudlians."

Kevin Ratcliffe

The Welshman spent nine successful years as Everton captain, winning the 1984/85 and 1986/87 league titles, and leading the team to glory in the 1984 FA Cup and 1985 Cup-Winners' Cup. When not lifting trophies, Ratcliffe was establishing a reputation as one of the best centre-backs in English football. He combined old-fashioned grit and bravery with a turn of speed any modern defender would be proud of. Only scored two goals in 12 seasons at Goodison Park, but one of those was a screamer against Liverpool at Anfield.

Peter Reid

Younger fans might know Reid best for his nomadic, and frequently expletive-filled, managerial career and for getting skinned by Diego Maradona en route to 'that goal' at the 1986 World Cup. But that would do a great disservice to one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation. Reid joined Everton in 1982 after eight seasons at Bolton, and helped the Toffees to one of the most successful spells in their history. Reid's graft and determination provided a platform for more creative players like Kevin Sheedy and Trevor Steven to surge forward, and he was recognised by his fellow professionals when he won the 1985 PFA Player of the Year award.

Graeme Sharp

The big Scot was a constant presence up front throughout the glory years of the 1980s, forming deadly strike partnerships with Andy Gray, Adrian Heath and Gary Lineker. Although known mainly as a target man who laid on as many chances for others as he took himself, Sharp scored 30 goals in the 1984/85 title-winning season and found the net 159 times in 11 seasons, making him the club's most prolific scorer since Dixie Dean. Received surprisingly little recognition at international level, winning just 12 caps for Scotland.

Neville Southall

The former refuse collector joined Everton aged 22 in 1981 and went on to make a club record 750 appearances, as well as winning 92 caps for Wales. At his peak, Southall was one of the best goalkeepers in the world and won the 1985 Football Writers' Player of the Year award - the last keeper to do so. Southall was a key man throughout the 1980s, and picked up a second FA Cup-winners' medal in 1995 when the Toffees beat Manchester United at Wembley. He was awarded an MBE in the same year for services to football.

Eurosport-Yahoo! verdict

For sheer weight of goals, Dean has to be the greatest player in Everton's history. Southall's ability and longevity earns him second place, with 1960s legend Ball completing the top three.

1 - Dixie Dean

2 - Neville Southall

3 - Alan Ball

Eurosport