David Moyes has done an excellent job since returning to Everton after helping keep them in the Premier League and then making a strong start to the season.
Moyes was appointed Everton manager back in January, with the team sitting 16th in the Premier League and just one point above the drop zone.
Following a great run of form, the Toffees managed to finish the season in 13th place, having lost just four of their 19 Premier League games under the Scottish coach.
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Speaking about his ambitions for the current campaign, the Everton boss has revealed what shocked him when he arrived back at Goodison Park for a second spell.
David Moyes waves to Everton fans against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
David Moyes was surprised by the quality of Everton’s squad
David Moyes has admitted that he was surprised by the quality of Everton’s squad after arriving midway through the season.
The 62-year-old was facing a pretty tough situation in keeping the club in the Premier League, but the backing he already had from the supporters and the quality of the squad were a major help.
Moyes highlighted the defence as a real strong point, with Jordon Pickford, James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite making them rather formidable to break down.
Speaking about his return to Everton, Moyes told PLZ Football Podcast: “The one thing I think I had was a little bit of rapport with the support. I knew a lot about them. I knew a little bit what they wanted and what they needed.
“I didn’t know if the players could produce that, but I’ll tell you what, I was really surprised by how well the players did, but they had good players, Everton.
“You know, Jordan Pickford is England’s number one goalkeeper. They had two very good centre halves who were really steady. Probably the strongest part of Everton at the time was the defensive set-up.”
Everton hope Pickford will sign a new contract soon, with the England shot-stopper being impressed by the Toffees’ vision moving forward.
David Moyes on his ambitions at Everton and signing Jack Grealish
The Everton boss was also asked about what he is hoping to achieve in his second spell back at the club, and he stated that he is keen to challenge the top teams.
Everton signed Jack Grealish on loan earlier this summer, and he is certainly a player who could help the Merseyside club to keep climbing the table.
“He’s a top player and he’s someone we’re privileged to have at the moment, and he’s great to work with,” stated Moyes.
“But, I want to give the Everton supporters something to shout about if we can, but I said we had so many players out of contract, we have so many things to change, we’ve only just avoided relegation for the last three or four years.
“We shouldn’t be expecting so much, but I want to expect more from myself, and I said to the players, I don’t want to come back here and manage a team that is just going to finish outside the relegation.
“I want to manage a team which has a chance. I always want us to be challenging the best teams, whether that be Arsenal or Liverpool, I want us to give them games and the supporters hope.”