Johnny Keating’s version rang out across Goodison Park for the final time as Everton and Southampton players walked out for kick off on Sunday (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)Johnny Keating’s version rang out across Goodison Park for the final time as Everton and Southampton players walked out for kick off on Sunday (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
Johnny Keating’s version rang out across Goodison Park for the final time as Everton and Southampton players walked out for kick off on Sunday (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
The wind of change continues to sweep through Everton both on and off the pitch.
Emotional goodbyes have been said to Goodison Park, even if fans will still be able to frequent their footballing church.
The Hill Dickinson Stadium is a symbol of hope toward a new beginning led by the return of David Moyes halfway through the 2024/25 season.
Above Moyes will be several new faces and, in particularly, in the recruitment department.
Dan Purdy joins Kevin Thelwell in making switch to Rangers
Kevin Thelwell has already joined Rangers as their new sporting director to lead their own 49ers Enterprises inspired revolution with another Toffee following him up the M6.
“Former Everton head of recruitment Dan Purdy will join Rangers, with technical director Nils Koppen departing Ibrox,” Sky Sports News reports.
“Purdy – who worked with incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell at Everton - is set to join on Monday ahead of what could be a busy summer transfer window at the club.
“It is the first major change behind the scenes at Rangers, following the US led takeover.
“Koppen took over as technical director in November, stepping up from director of recruitment, as he was tasked with overseeing Rangers’ transfer strategy.
“He was also taking on overall responsibility for the club’s men’s academy, medical, football operations, performance and analysis departments.”
Purdy has been largely credited for the acquisition of players like James Garner, Amadou Onana and Iliman Ndiaye against a backdrop of financial constraints and points deductions.
Wolverhampton Wanderers were reported to have secured Purdy’s player spotting talents but it looks like the lure of being reunited with Thelwell has been too he’d to turn down.
Thelwell and Purdy will have done the donkey work for the summer’s recruitment plans alongside Moyes with an extensive list of players joining them in leaving.
Idrissa Gueye is expected to sign a new deal, however, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done after the confirmation of Charly Alcaraz making his move to Everton permanent.
Familiar names who have played for both Rangers and Everton
Rangers and Everton have been linked on numerous occasions in their respective modern histories.
Before the Premier League and Sky intervened, the Glasgow giants used to be able to compete with Europe’s elite in terms of transfer spending and luring the continent’s best to Scotland.
They were also competing in the European Cup at a time when English clubs weren’t, another reason why established internationals like Terry Butcher and Chris Woods flew north.
Going back to the Graeme Souness inspired rebuild of Rangers in the mid-eighties, players have regularly crossed the border to play for the blue half of equally football mad cities.
Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven and Stuart McCall were early departures from Liverpool to Glasgow with Ian Durrant, Richard Gough and Duncan Ferguson heading in the opposite direction.
Add players like Alec Cleland and Nathan Patterson, and the list begins to grow.
These aren’t the only names to play for both clubs though with Andy Grey eventually getting the chance to join his boyhood club as time ticked on his playing days.