Forget Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink: Everton coach David Moyes is the best manager in the world, club chairman, Bill Kenwright claimed on Tuesday.
“Evertonians owe everything to David Moyes, he took on our club when it was on its knees,” Kenwright told the BBC.
“We laid out a plan and he has never come off it. I worship the man, he is the greatest manager in the world.”
Kenwright was speaking barely 48 hours after Moyes had guided Everton to the FA Cup final after a penalty shoot-out win against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.
Kenwright, who has been searching for a suitable buyer for Everton, said Moyes, who took up his post at Goodison Park in 2002, had persuaded him to stay on at the club.
“I’ve been in situations when I’ve thought I can’t go on,” said Kenwright.
“He’s said ‘don’t leave, the players and I will miss you. Come on, we’ll do this together’.
“He’s my best friend in football and I’d do anything for him.
“When you see him looking up with that clenched fist he’s looking at me saying ‘look where we’ve got to’.”
Kenwright praised the way Moyes had made a success of a club with only minimum resources at his disposal.
“When David arrived I never looked at the first game of the season, I looked at the last to see who we had to beat to avoid the ‘r’ word – relegation.
“We’ve had Wayne Rooney leaving and no money every season – but now we’re up there and I think you can truly say now we are a top-six club again.
“He’s never at home, he’s always at games, whether abroad or other divisions and he is totally committed to Everton.”
