David Moyes has been addressing summer transfer recruitment and player fitness ahead of Everton’s game with West Ham United
Everton manager David Moyes admits that recruitment has changed since his first spell in charge at Goodison Park following last week’s confirmation that director of football Kevin Thelwell will be departing the club this summer. Thelwell has been in his role since February 2022, but his current contract will not be renewed with the Blues announcing last Friday that they will transition from a single director of football to a wider sporting leadership team.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference to preview Everton’s home game with West Ham United, Moyes said: “I don’t know all the answers to that at the moment. I do know that unfortunately, Kevin will be leaving his job.
“He’s done a great job here over many years and through some really difficult periods for the club, making sure they could stay as a Premier League club. So, I’ve got lots of admiration for the work he’s done.
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“There’s going to be a change and all those bits are still getting pieced together at the moment. I’ve had one, short conversation with Angus (Kinnear, who will become chief executive in June), that was all, because he has his job to do at Leeds and I don’t want to disrupt him while he’s working there.
“So, we’re getting things together, we’re starting to plan. But obviously, again, league position and the league you’re in is all-important.”
Moyes has played a prominent role in bringing in players throughout his managerial career, although he concedes that the landscape has change from his first spell at Everton between 2002-13, when he guided the club to nine top eight finishes, including fourth place in 2004/05, their highest-ever Premier League position. The 61-year-old said: “Nowadays you need lots of help with player recruitment. You need lots of people around you to help that.
“I don’t think it’s like the old days where I used to be popping into Wigan to watch Leighton Baines on the way home or going to watch Phil Jagielka at Sheffield United. I think it’s a much more difficult area to be on your own in.
“You need lots of advice from your scouts in the recruitment department. We’ve not quite pulled it all together yet, but we’re planning it and getting things moving.”
Meanwhile, Moyes offered updates on the fitness of several players. Asked about Armando Broja, who was pictured being back in full training this week, he said: “He’s in and around it. It’s a bit like Youssef (Chermiti) and Seamus (Coleman), although they’ve had another five or six days’ training, Broja is back in amongst it.
“He’s just getting closer. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get him on the bench for tomorrow’s game.
“Ili (Ndiaye), Dom (Calvert-Lewin) and Dwight (McNeil), we might see them all become very close to returning. Maybe not quite right away, but certainly much closer.”
