Everton will be set for another run-in with a former player who is now coaching with a rival Premier League side.
David Moyes has his own issues to solve on Merseyside as he searches for his first three points of 2026.
It will not get much easier for Everton this weekend, with an away trip to Villa Park next up on the schedule for the Toffees.
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Everton recently beat Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest twice in the league in December, with another former Toffee now joining the coaching staff of a rival club.
The final game of the season comes away to Tottenham Hotspur, and it is in north London where a reunion will be on the cards for the Blues.
Tottenham appoint former Everton defender John Heitinga as assistant manager
Having left Arne Slot’s Liverpool, John Heitinga was sacked just 15 games into his Ajax career as the famous club’s manager.
The 42-year-old has now made his return to the Premier League as he joins up with Thomas Frank’s struggling Spurs.
Who would you like to see eventually replace David Moyes at Everton?
“I certainly won’t be here for what I did before (over 11 years). I will just take it as it goes, we have done a good job here in getting us safe because that was a problem that the club could have been relegated.
“I’ll take the next two years and see how we go. I have a couple of years left.”
David Moyes on his long-term Everton future
It’s a huge task for the Dutchman, who has struggled in management, as the Lilywhites continue to show their massive decline over recent years.
Heitinga even worked under Moyes at West Ham after being appointed as an assistant back in 2023.
However, it is his time at Anfield that will have frustrated a number of Everton fans.
After returning to Goodison Park last season, Heitinga expected a frosty reception from the Everton fans.
That spell on the red side of the city is unlikely to be forgotten any time soon by the Blues.
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Everton could improve with some former players returning as coaches
Obviously, Leighton Baines is part of Everton’s coaching staff and Moyes is delighted with the work he is doing at Finch Farm.
Given the struggles being experienced up top, the Blues could really do with someone like Wayne Rooney or Duncan Ferguson teaching the two strikers.
Which former Everton striker would you hypothetically bring back to play in the current side? 🤩
Ferguson has admitted he’d love to become Everton manager one day, but a role in the coaching staff could prove a smart addition for all.
The Scotsman enjoyed his spell under Carlo Ancelotti before testing himself as the manager of Forest Green Rovers.
Everton fans would love to have a player like that still up top.
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