Everton finally announce Sean Dyche as new manager after days of negotiations

Everton have finally confirmed Sean Dyche as their new manager three days after it was reported he was in final contract negotiations with the club.

The Toffees announced he has signed a two and a half year deal, taking him to June 2025.

The former Burnley boss was sacked in April 2022, with the Lancashire club in a relegation battle at the time.

Dyche replaces Frank Lampard, who was sacked after the club lost eight of their last nine competitive matches. Dyche said: “It’s an honour to become Everton manager. My staff and I are ready and eager to help get this great club back on track.

“I know about Everton’s passionate fanbase and how precious this club is to them. We’re ready to work and ready to give them what they want.

"That starts with sweat on the shirt, effort and getting back to some of the basic principles of what Everton Football Club has stood for for a long time.

“We want to bring back a good feeling. We need the fans, we need unity and we need everyone aligned. That starts with us as staff and players.

“Our aim is to put out a team that works, that fights and wears the badge with pride. The connection with the fans can then grow very quickly because they’re so passionate.

“There is quality in this squad. But we have to make them shine. That’s the job of me and my staff.

“We want to change the shape of this club going forward, remodel it in our style, but in a way that we can win.

"That's the task in front of us - make sure we're building, tactically and technically, giving players organisation, allow them the freedom to play, to go and enjoy their football because it's brilliant when the team's playing with a smile, but we've got to win.”

Ian Woan, Steve Stone and Mark Howard have also joined the club as part of Dyche’s backroom staff.

Dyche is the ninth man in the past 10 years to be tasked permanently with managing the club.

The 51-year-old was manager of Burnley for a decade, guiding the team into the Premiere League from 2012 to 2022.

He also took the club into Europe for the first time in 51 years, after finishing seventh in the league in 2018.

He is not believed to have been the only man to have interviewed for the Toffees job, as former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa reportedly turned down the club.

Dyche's first match will be at home to league leaders Arsenal on Saturday.

His job will be to prevent Everton from being relegated for the first time since 1951.

Chairman Bill Kenwright said: “Kevin (Thelwell, director of football) and I spent some valuable time with Sean over the past few days and he quickly convinced me that he has exactly the right attributes to make himself a great Everton manager – and a man who could inspire our fanbase. And Farhad felt the same when he met him, too.”

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