Alan Irvine faced the media at the Hill Dickinson last night, standing in for David Moyes after Everton’s 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Wolves.
Moyes’ assistant had every reason to smile. Tyler Dibling produced a man-of-the-match display, capping his evening by setting up Carlos Alcaraz for the winning goal with ten minutes left on the clock.
He spoke at length about how far Dibling has come since his difficult introduction to Everton last season, and he made clear that the performance against Wolves was no accident. You can read more on the night’s talking points in our report on the Carabao Cup victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The win moves Everton into the last 16 of the competition and gives Moyes a selection headache for Saturday’s home game against Ipswich. For Irvine, though, the story of the night belonged to Dibling and the character he has shown to force his way into the team.
Irvine praises Dibling after Wolves win
Dibling arrived at Everton from Southampton in 2025 for an initial fee of £35m, carrying the weight of a significant price tag. His opening months were not easy, and he found himself out of the starting picture for large parts of last season.
Against Wolves, that patience paid off. Handed a chance in the Carabao Cup, Dibling seized it with a performance that Irvine described as pivotal to the result. His pass for Alcaraz’s goal came from a driving run that stretched the Wolves defence, and it was the moment that separated two evenly matched sides.
Irvine suggested it was exactly what the club had hoped for when they signed him, and Evertonians who tracked the team’s line-up choices against Wolves will have been happy to see Dibling’s inclusion.
Irvine on Dibling’s comfort and pre-season progress
Asked directly about Dibling’s development, Irvine pointed to a clear turning point in pre-season. He said the change in the player’s demeanour had been visible from the very first session.
“First of all, since he came back for pre-season, he’s looked like he belongs here. He has looked more comfortable. He’s a very quiet lad, Tyler, and it can sometimes take quiet lads, young lads, quite a bit of time to settle in, especially to a club like this with the expectations that are here, so that was probably difficult for him last year. But he’s come back right from the first day of pre-season, looking much more comfortable in the environment and being able to play for a club of this size. So that’s been good.”
Dibling’s patience and impact
Irvine also revealed the conversation he had with Dibling before kick-off last night, explaining how he encouraged the winger to treat the appearance as a genuine opportunity rather than just a cup ‘rotation’.
“He’s been training really well. He’s just been waiting for his opportunity and I said to him before the game: ‘You’ve been waiting patiently, or impatiently, you’ve now got your chance. You have been disappointed that you haven’t been in the starting XI up until now, but now you must take that opportunity’. You don’t get loads of opportunities. You have to grab them when you get them and make sure that the manager’s got a tough decision to make for the next game, and he’s done that, which I’m really pleased about.”
Carabao Cup progress and selection decision for Moyes
Dibling’s display adds another layer to Moyes’ growing selection options in the wide areas, an issue that has been building throughout the early part of the campaign. With competition for places already fierce, a man-of-the-match cup performance from a player who had been waiting patiently for his chance is not something Moyes can easily ignore.
Irvine’s full post-match comments, reported by the Liverpool Echo, paint a picture of a coaching staff genuinely pleased with the progress being made by one of their younger squad members. For a club that invested heavily in Dibling’s long-term potential, seeing that faith rewarded with a good contribution in a cup win will be very welcome.
Alan Irvine hails Carlos Alcaraz after Everton beat Wolves
Alan Irvine hails Carlos Alcaraz after Everton beat Wolves
Everton win watched by two very well-known Blues at the Hill Dickinson
Everton win watched by two very well-known Blues at the Hill Dickinson