Sean Dyche says he is in no rush to return to football management, although the former Everton boss isn’t ruling out another job if the right opportunity comes along.
Dyche, who has been out of management since leaving Nottingham Forest in February, has instead become a regular pundit with talkSPORT. Speaking about his future, the 55-year-old admitted the demands of his recent jobs have left him happy to take his time before returning to the dugout.
Dyche reflects on football’s ‘heavy lifting’
Asked whether another managerial job could be on the horizon, Dyche told talkSPORT that finding the right opportunity was more important than simply getting back into work.
“We’ll see. First thing’s first, it’s not easy to get any jobs in football. So you’ve got to first of all, get a job.
“But it’s also got to be one that you want. The last few have been tough going. It’s been heavy lifting when you’re at clubs that need almost bailing out, and sort of stripping back and getting going again.”
That description will sound familiar to Everton supporters.
Dyche arrived at Goodison Park in January 2023 with the Blues in the relegation zone and helped keep them in the Premier League on the final day of that season, when Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal secured a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.
His first full campaign brought an entirely different challenge. Everton were deducted eight points across two separate Profitability and Sustainability Rules cases, yet finished the season with 40 points and 14 points clear of the relegation places.
Without those deductions, Everton would have collected 48 points. Only Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool conceded fewer than the Blues’ 51 league goals that season, underlining the defensive organisation Dyche had established despite the turmoil around the club.
Dyche enjoying life away from management
Dyche was dismissed by Everton in January 2025, with the club 16th in the Premier League after taking 17 points from 19 matches. David Moyes subsequently returned for a second spell, inheriting a side that Dyche later described as being on a “stable footing”.
Dyche subsequently returned to management with Nottingham Forest, but that spell lasted only four months before ending in February this year.
For now, he appears content with life outside the dugout. Asked whether he misses being on the touchline every week, Dyche replied: “Yeah, but I’ve done it for a long time.”
He has remained involved in football, watching his son Max play for Northampton Town and taking in other matches when possible. Dyche also revealed that he and talkSPORT colleague Jonny Owen are heading to Merthyr Tydfil for an event intended to raise money for the club.
“There’s all sorts I’m getting involved with. I’m quite enjoying that side of it.”
There remains, however, one sizeable caveat.
“But you know what it’s like, never say never in football. The phone rings and you might just go, yep, come on and let’s go.”
For Everton supporters, the reference to “heavy lifting” provides an interesting reflection on Dyche’s time at Goodison.
He took over a side in serious relegation trouble, kept it up and then navigated a season dominated by points deductions and financial uncertainty. His final months were considerably less successful, with Everton struggling badly for goals before his departure, but the circumstances surrounding much of his tenure were rarely straightforward.
Dyche doesn’t appear to be searching desperately for his next rescue mission. If the right phone call arrives, though, he clearly hasn’t finished with management yet.
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