Emotional David Moyes receives warm reception from Everton fans ahead of kick-off against Aston Villa – as Scot makes his Goodison Park return nearly 12 years after leaving

Everton fans welcomed David Moyes with scarves, banners and cheers ahead of kick-off against Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Thursday evening.

Moyes walked onto the pitch briefly before the match to wave to fans and looked emotional as he sealed his return to the club he left in 2013.

Everton appointed Moyes for his second spell in charge on Saturday, just two days after sacking Sean Dyche with the club 16th in the Premier League.

He left the Toffees in 2013 for a seven-year deal at Manchester United but only lasted 10 months and has admitted he has long longed for a return to Goodison Park.

Scarves dedicated to the Scot were sold outside the stadium prior to kick-off. His face was also shown on a big screen before the match. This is his 519th game in charge of the club.

His reappointment received a mixed reception, with the nostalgia of his comeback clashing with others who want to see the club move in a different direction.

Supporters received him warmly, if somewhat quietly, as he walked out before kick-off

An image of his face was shown on a large screen as he prepared for his 519th match in charge

But, armed with a contract until 2027, Moyes’ aim is to drag the side away from the consistent fight against relegation and become contenders higher up the table again.

He consistently led Everton to European finishes during his first spell between 2002 and 2013, as well as the 2009 FA Cup final.

“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 part and show that they can handle it.

‘I had received a message asking me to come to a match 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.”

Moyes and Everton have been through a lot since he first said goodbye in 2013

This is not the stable club Moyes knew when he left. Since his departure, they have chewed up and spit out Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez, Frank Lampard and Dyche, as well as several caretaker bosses.

But they are marching into a new era as the takeover of the club by the Friedkin Group was completed in December, ending Farhad Moshiri’s troubled reign.

And it feels fitting that a man who brought so much joy to Goodison Park during his first reign is set to lead them out as the Toffees play their final season before moving to their new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock.