David Moyes reveals what drew him back to Everton after more than a decade away and which manager denied him a return years ago – as he insists his stars will NOT just be battling relegation

David Moyes says he always wanted to return to Everton. Even though he thought about retiring, he knew a comeback was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The Scot, 61, replaced Sean Dyche in the Goodison Park hotseat last week and has revealed he came within inches of returning on several occasions but it fell through.

But Moyes, who has spoken to Dyche about the job and the squad, is now back at the club he holds in his heart and said on Monday: ‘I always had the hope and suspicion that someone would get me back. I wanted to come back.

‘I had agreed with (former owner) Farhad Moshiri and (late chairman) Bill Kenwright that I would become manager in 2019, after which Carlo (Ancelotti) was fired from Napoli that evening. They changed their minds the next morning! I’ve had a lot of close calls.

‘I think if people looked at David Moyes’ career they would probably think ‘Everton’. It’s been a long time (first arrival) and it’s a different David Moyes coming back to Everton… but it’s also a very different Everton that David Moyes is coming back to.”

Moyes looked smart in a smart suit but despite his formal appearance he was relaxed and joked that there were ‘too many old faces – mine included’ in the room at Finch Farm. He said he was “nervous” when he drove in for his first day of training, but was ready to go again.

He returns to the Toffees 12 years after leaving to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United

This time he is a ‘different David Moyes’ after experiences at Old Trafford, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham

“I’ve had other opportunities to consider other jobs, quite a few since leaving West Ham,” he said. “But I always felt that if this job came along – and I didn’t expect the job to come, I really didn’t – it was too great an opportunity to turn down.

‘The club now needs to be steered in the right direction and create a place where you are not constantly fighting at the bottom. I said to the players: “I’m not coming here to manage a team that’s at the bottom of the league. I’m going to manage a team that will be competitive and challenging.”

‘Part of it is, ‘You players better show up.’ I have no doubt that the crowd, the people, Goodison, will all play a part. The players now have to play their role and show that they can handle it.’

Moyes will take charge of his 519th Everton game against Aston Villa at Goodison on Wednesday. And he added: ‘I had received a message asking me to come to a game with my father before the end of the season. I thought it would be brilliant to return to Goodison (the stadium move) sooner.

‘You have to remember that my family was so rooted in Everton. My children were young, my father drank with all the boys on the street! The departure was terrible because we were very close after eleven years.

‘Now I have the opportunity to lead here again. I just have to make sure that when we walk out of Goodison and lock the door for the last time, we can all walk to the new stadium in the right place.”