Leighton Baines dedicated his goal during Everton's draw with Newcastle United on Monday to the families of the Liverpool fans who were killed at Hillsborough.
The England defender admitted that football was insignificant compared to the loss that those families suffered following the 23-year wait for an independent report to be released.
Baines said: "I'd like to dedicate my goal to the Hillsborough families. But of course football as a game pales into insignificance when you are relating to what happened back then.
"What our club did before the game was a nice touch. Hopefully now people can move forward and hopefully they have gained some of the closure they have needed.
"It is hard to relate our game with something so huge as Hillsborough, but it was important for Everton as a club to show their respect to the families."
The 27-year-old's father was at Hillsborough on the day of the tragedy in Sheffield.
Callum Mulvihill
