Everton manager David Moyes discusses his stint at Sunderland and his lessons from it as he looks ahead to a return to the Stadium of Light
David Moyes looks on during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP
David Moyes looks on during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP
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David Moyes believes the heartbreak he suffered at Sunderland shaped the success he has since enjoyed in his managerial career. The Everton boss will lead a team out at the Stadium of Light for the first time since he lost the battle for Premier League survival with the Black Cats back in 2017.
That blip - one that continues to hurt the 62-year-old - is the only relegation on his CV and caused a pain that drove his work to save West Ham United and Everton from the drop in the years that have followed.
There have also been much better days - most notably when he led the Hammers to glory in the Europa Conference League.
Moyes will return to Sunderland with Everton on Monday night as his former club looks to build on an impressive start to its first Premier League campaign since being relegated under him.
“I was so disappointed that I hadn’t been able to keep them up so that was it,” said Moyes, who resigned at the end of the season and therefore foregoed any compensation that would have been due had he been sacked.
“I sort of knew from quite early on that it would be difficult. I had a chance to leave for another club during that season and I chose not to because I wanted to see it through if I could do so.
“It was disappointing but I had a good time there and met a lot of good people. But we were just on the decline then and it was hard to stop.”
The decision to step away was a big one for Moyes, who had also struggled at Manchester United and Real Sociedad in the years that followed the end of his first reign at Everton. It sparked a personal search for improvement that included working with UEFA.
“I tried to get myself out and meet people and do things I hadn’t seen or done before,” he said.
“Man Utd, I think there has been enough said about that, it was a strange period. The Sociedad period was great. Sunderland was difficult. It was a difficult period really. I’m not sure there are many managers who have done the journey without having blips.
“You can have a couple and it is a bit like Ange [Postecoglou] now having just left Nottingham Forest. He will come back because Ange is a really, really good manager. He will come back, there is no doubt about that.
“I think football can also sicken you if you are not careful, so you have got to stay resolute and keep your head down and believe that you weren’t that far away.
“When I look back at United, a quarter-final of the Champions League... Sociedad, well they are near the bottom at the moment and they had the system where you had to bring in your own ones really... Sunderland, I wouldn’t say it was an excuse, but Sunderland were changing at the time, it wasn’t the same finances and the ability to do as much at that time.”
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Moyes has since had two spells at West Ham - helping them to survive the drop on both occasions before then leading them into three years of European football that included the Conference League title.
He returned to Everton in January with the club appearing destined for another relegation scrap before he quickly inspired a surge of form that saw the team push up the table.
Asked whether his experience with Sunderland was important in what he has achieved since, Moyes said: “Definitely. I think the feeling was quite early that we were struggling at Sunderland.
“There was a period where we won three out of four around November-December time and that was about as good as it got at that time. After that we were really struggling, up against it and it was really difficult.
“But I think it makes you a little bit tougher going into the other jobs, and it makes you realise you don’t want that to happen again. Being relegated for any manager is a horrible, horrible feeling and not something you want to do.”