Ex-Everton director claims he moved 'heaven and earth' for star Premier League manager

Former Everton sporting director Marcel Brands has revealed that he 'moved heaven and earth' to try and convince Mikel Arteta to manage the club.

At the time, Arteta was Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City where he was earning plaudits for his work with their attacking players. He took over at Arsenal following Unai Emery's exit in December 2019.

For Everton, they had Sam Allardyce from November 2017 to May 2018, before Marco Silva arrived and remained until December 2019. Brands had eyed him before he made the move to Arsenal hoping to prey on the fact he enjoyed a successful period as a player at Goodison Park, where he played over 200 games.

SoccerNews spoke to Brands who opened up on his attempt to convince him to join as manager while still at Man City: “I moved heaven and earth to bring Arteta to Everton. He is also a former player of course. I spent the entire evening at his house and I saw him as the ideal man for us. I immediately saw a top trainer. At the time he was still an assistant to Pep Guardiola and he was busy with other things. But you saw that he was becoming a top trainer.”

Brands was encouraged to move for Arteta after speaking to people at the club: “I only heard positive things. Also within the club Everton. Then I was at his house to sound him out and I got so excited. So well prepared, and that passion came out everywhere. His mouth, his nose and his ears. I thought this is the trainer, but for the long term.”

Despite a rocky spell at the club to begin with, Arteta went onto win the FA Cup and Community Shield and he has since re-established them as one of the best sides in England, as they head for a second successive title race. If Brands had his way, Arteta would have been the central figure helping to lead them to long term success backed by a first class transfer strategy which could have seen the last five years turn out very differently.