Silva keen to stick around at Toffees
MARCO SILVA signed for his third Premier League club in 17 months yesterday and insisted he wanted to remain at Everton for years to come.
The highly-rated Portuguese manager finally took over on Merseyside seven months after Everton first tried to lure him from Watford, who eventually dismissed him following a dramatic drop in form.
Silva lasted barely five months at Watford – after short stints at Sporting Lisbon, Olympiakos and Hull – and since leaving first job Estoril in 2014 he has not remained more than 12 months at any club.
But with Everton keen to recover from a turbulent campaign under the successive leadership of Ronald Koeman, David Unsworth and Sam Allardyce, their new recruit insists he is not using them as a stepping stone for potentially bigger jobs in Europe.
“The answer for the fans is clear – no,” he said. “I am clear when I say the club needs some stability and I want some stability for my career and I know what is important. And for me what is most important is the club. But it is something I want and I need for my career.”
Silva signed a three-year deal with Everton, who are still negotiating with Watford over a compensation package after the Hornets blamed the Toffees’ interest for distracting their manager. The Premier League will mediate next month over Watford’s multi-million-pound claim, which is also understood to include a clause preventing Silva from signing any of his former players.
Disputes aside, Everton could certainly benefit from the stability mentioned by Silva, having used three managers last season – a contrast to a prior run of three managers in 18 years, with Walter Smith, David Moyes and Roberto Martinez in charge from 1998 to 2016.
“It is easy to understand when Everton performed better it was when they had stability,” Silva said. “They had a coach here more than two or three years.
“I want to find it for my career and everyone – the owner, the chairman – want that as well. They want a coach and squad to give stability for our club.”
First, however, Silva must win over those Goodison supporters who by the end of last season were in open revolt against Allardyce and dissatisfied with the team’s style of play.
“It is really important,” Silva said. “I have no doubt about that. It is not fair to put this pressure on our players but our first impact will be important.”