Phil Neville has expressed his interest in the vacant manager’s role at Everton in an interview with The Times yesterday.
The former Toffee’s captain announced a few months ago that he would be leaving the club this summer. While he has not confirmed his intention to follow the likes of Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Paul Scholes this season by retiring from the game, there is no suggestion yet as to where he will end up.
With David Moyes making the move from the dugout at Goodison to Old Trafford, there has been speculation that Neville could follow him there and take up a coaching role. However, there has also been speculation in the last two weeks linking him with the vacancy at Everton.
Neville said, “It is flattering to be linked with the Everton job.” Were he to take the job after playing for the club, he would not be the first player in the history of the game to do so with Everton’s main rivals Liverpool promoting Kenny Dalglish to manager in the 80s. “It’s just whatever direction the club want to take. But I know there are players who have gone into jobs and failed,” he added.
As far as his ambitions for the future go, management isn’t far from the player’s thoughts. “I am at the end of my career and I am looking to get into coaching and management. I have prepared for the last five seasons and I have some nice decisions to make,” he said.
A number of managers have been linked with the vacancy at Everton, most noticeably Roberto Martinez. With Everton’s limited finances however, paying compensation to another club for their manager could be difficult and while Martinez may not be at Wigan much longer, he is still their manager as of now.
Because of this, Everton may look to promote from within. His experience of captaining the club, as well as his coaching qualifications and popularity with the club’s fans, might just make him the most attractive option in Bill Kenwright’s eyes.
