Everton have a number of leaders in their current squad and that was certainly seen during Monday night’s game against Manchester United.
David Moyes was left absolutely delighted as he collected his first away victory in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
It was a historic night for Everton, whose fans backed the 10 men on the pitch throughout the game.
The night was overshadowed by Idrissa Gana Gueye’s sending off after striking Michael Keane inside the opening 15 minutes.
Everton’s strong leadership helped iron out the tension as Keane and Gueye put the scuffle behind them before they left the stadium.
There are a number of players who are helping Moyes both on the pitch and behind the scenes when it comes to offering leadership qualities.
Moyes has waxed lyrical about Seamus Coleman’s voice off the pitch, but there is another player who he feels has the values to become a manager after he retires.
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David Moyes names Everton mainstay as future manager
On the back of the bizarre incident on Monday night, Simon Jordan admitted he did not rate Keane despite his excellent showings this season.
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The 32-year-old defender has played a huge role in Everton’s 2025/26 campaign following the injury to Jarrad Branthwaite.
Replying to fans’ questions on Reddit, Moyes has admitted he can see Keane becoming a manager one day when he eventually retires.
“Of the group I’ve got at the moment, who do I think could possibly be future managerial material? Maybe Michael Keane,” he said.
This is the perfect response to their scuffle at Old Trafford!
“I’ve got to say, I didn’t think Leighton Baines, who’s on my staff, would go on to be involved as much as what he is, and he’s doing really, really well here.”
Keane and Gueye issued the perfect public response to their scuffle, with a joking boxing match at Finch Farm on Thursday.
The Englishman has been an absolute rock at the back for Everton this season and it seems he offers just as much behind the scenes.
What David Moyes said about Michael Keane and Idrissa Gana Gueye’s scuffle
It was a moment of madness from Gueye which took everyone by surprise as Gueye became the first player sent off for hitting his own teammate since 2008.
Idrissa Gana Gueye’s sending off is only the third time a player has been red carded for striking his own teammate. The most infamous incident was Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer both being sent off for Newcastle vs Aston Villa in 2005, whilst Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller had a similar fate for acting out against Andy Griffin in 2008.
Manchester United v Everton - Premier League
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After the game, the Everton fans sang Keane’s name from the away end at Old Trafford.
“I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. I got told that the rules of the game that if you slap your own player, you could be in trouble,” Moyes said on Monday.
“But there’s another side to it: I like my players fighting each other if someone didn’t do the right action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it.”
Sean Dyche thinks Keane is seriously underrated and his performances this season have certainly not received the national recognition he deserves.
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