David Moyes has been appointed as Everton boss for the second time, signing a two-and-a-half year contract at the club.
The Scot was identified by the club’s new owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG), as its primary target to succeed Sean Dyche after his exit on Thursday.
Moyes said upon his return: Moyes said: “It’s great to be back! I enjoyed 11 wonderful and successful years at Everton and didn’t hesitate when I was offered the opportunity to rejoin this great club. I’m excited to be working with The Friedkin Group and I am looking forward to helping them rebuild the club.
“Now we need Goodison and all Evertonians to play their part in getting behind the players in this important season so we can move into our fabulous new stadium as a Premier League team.”
Negotiations between TFG and Moyes advanced rapidly and Moyes will take training for the first time today (Saturday).
Moyes is viewed by TFG as the ideal manager to secure Everton’s Premier League status, which is the immediate priority before moving stadium to a state-of-the-art arena at Bramley-Moore Dock.
The hierarchy also want the 61-year-old to lay the foundations for their longer-term ambitions.
Everton executive chairman Marc Watts said of Moyes’s return: “We are pleased that David is joining us at this pivotal time in Everton’s history. With over a decade of experience at the club, he is the right leader to propel us through our final season at Goodison Park and into our new stadium. We look forward to working with David to build the foundation of a new era for Everton.”
The Athletic previously reported that Moyes was the Merseyside club’s top target to replace Dyche, who left the club after two years in charge.
Dyche’s departure was announced hours before Everton’s FA Cup third-round tie against Peterborough and came off the back of a run of five Premier League games without a win to leave the club one point above the relegation zone in 16th.
Moyes has been out of work since leaving West Ham United at the end of last season following the expiration of his contract.
Moyes will take the reins for his second spell at Goodison Park having taken charge of the club between 2002 to 2013.
He oversaw nine top-10 finishes during his first stint at the club, guiding them to the qualifying stages of the Champions League in 2005 and an FA Cup final appearance in 2009.
He left in 2013 to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, where he spent 10 months at the helm before being sacked.
Last season, Moyes guided West Ham to the quarter-finals of the Europa League having previously ended the club’s 43-year wait for major silverware with victory in the Europa Conference League the year before.
GO DEEPER
David Moyes’ Everton exit signalled the end of stability – his return might be a necessity
(Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
