Everton were once dubbed the School of Science for the way they played their way to the league championship in 1970.
Now, with a legion of David Moyes’ old boys – headed by Lee Carsley and Mikel Arteta – advancing in management and other senior roles, a College for Coaches would seem just as appropriate.
Carsley is the England interim making a good case for getting the job full-time. Arteta is leading Arsenal in the heat of a Premier League title battle.
They aren’t the only Goodison old boys who have benefitted from the culture Moyes and his assistant Alan Irvine set down.
Also in that 2005-06 squad were David Weir, the prominent sporting director at Brighton, and Phil Neville of MLS outfit Portland Timbers. Alan Stubbs won the Scottish Cup with Hibernian, Duncan Ferguson and Gary Naysmith are managers in Scotland and Joleon Lescott is part of the England coaching set-up. Wayne Rooney (Plymouth) and Steve Watson (Darlington) also learned under Moyes.
A legion of David Moyes’ former players have begun to make waves in the world of management
England interim boss Lee Carsley (left) played under the Scotsman for six years (2002-08)
Carsley, who will hope to continue his 100 per cent record as interim when The Three Lions meet Greece and Finland in the current international camp, was invited by the Everton management team to begin his coaching journey whilst still playing in his early thirties.
At the club’s then-training ground at Bellefield, Carsley and some of his team-mates would gather to take their Uefa C license and see if they’d get a taste of the coaching bug.
‘Yeah, David Moyes encouraged us to do our coaching badges. There would have been myself, Kev Campbell, Steve Watson, Dave Weir, Alan Stubbs, Kevin Kilbane, Mark Pembridge,’ recalls Carsley.
‘It definitely got us thinking more about football and his tactics and his thoughts. We’d understand what he’d be doing as a manager and how that was working. It definitely helped.’
Irvine played an important role in getting Carsley and his pals started. ‘I volunteered to set something up and asked Cars and Kevin Kilbane to find out who else was interested. When they came back, it was quite a big group.
‘Neil Bailey (PFA coach) came in to Bellefield and they started doing the badges. Fair play to the boys, they turned up and were keen.
‘We had a coaching culture at Everton and I’m sure that was an influence. Places where there is a lot of coaching done develop coaches.’
Carsley was a disciplined holding midfield player whose partnership with the more creative Thomas Gravesen helped Everton finish fourth in 2004 and reach the Champions League qualifying stage.
‘You could have a football conversation with Cars,’ recalls Irvine.
‘Lee was a good player but he knew his limitations. He broke the play up and was good at it. He understood his role in the team, to make sure we were not vulnerable defensively.
Mikel Arteta spent time with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City but benefited from the culture at Everton under Moyes
Arteta was already showing a deep interest in the game by the time he was playing under Moyes
‘He was somebody you could give a role to and he’d sacrifice himself to do it. I remember playing Arsenal and he was given the job of man-marking Denis Bergkamp. Bergkamp, highly intelligent, decided to go and stand next to the left-back so Cars was having to empty the midfield!
Read More
LISTEN: Tubes reveals his WORST-EVER experience hosting Soccer AM on brand new episode of Soccer A-Z
‘It was all part of the learning process.’
The next generation was also soaking it up. Arteta, just 23 at the time, was already showing a deep interest in the game.
‘Every Monday morning he’d ask what games I’d seen at the weekend. We’d end up having discussions about the tactics, how certain goals had been scored and conceded.’
Irvine told the players they should start their coaching courses whilst they were still playing and could utilise the facilities at a Premier League club.
Carsley’s route since then has been unusual, not tying himself down to management but benefitting from working with The FA. Like Gareth Southgate, he enjoyed success with England under-21s and now has the opportunity of working with the best players in the country.
‘He was prepared to make big decisions like not taking a club job and he’s been in the England system for a number of years which is a good environment for continuing your development,’ says Irvine.
‘He has time between camps to bounce ideas off other coaches and learn and experiment.
‘It made a whole load of sense for England to promote Lee to this role. Personally, I think if results go well, he will get it. It is the same pathway as Gareth.’
Carsley impressed at the England U21s and has since gone on to continue his upward trajectory as the seniors’ interim boss
Arteta has gone down another route and seems to be driven by that day-to-day intensity and involvement.
Irvine watched with notice the defensive rearguard action Arsenal put in recently to get a draw at Manchester City with 10 men.
‘The Spaniards aren’t soft. They have a real edge to them. They are prepared to do what they need to do in order to get the result,’ he said.
‘Anyone who thinks Pep Guardiola doesn’t do his homework is miles off. I saw a quote where he said he studies the opposition carefully to try and find a way to dismantle them. That’s great when you have the best players, if you don’t you also need a plan to stop the opposition.’
Weir has gone down a different route again. He was in charge of Sheffield United but has found his niche at Brighton where he is in charge of the recruitment that the rest of the Premier League is envious of.
‘A very intelligent guy,’ remembers Irvine. ‘His success hasn’t surprised me. I thought he’d go into management because he treated people well and he could be a very good coach as well.
‘He was reserve team coach with Stubbsy when Eric Dier came through. David played alongside Eric as a member of staff and coached him in real time. I am quite sure if you asked Eric he would say David was very influential in his development.’
The first coach to put Carsley through his paces still bumps into him occasionally at St George’s Park and they chuckle about how far he’s progressed from the very first time he put out the cones at Bellefield and delivered sessions for youngsters from the Everton academy as part of his work for the license.
‘You think back to when you first saw him nervous in front of 13 and 14-year-olds and now he is taking the national team. Full credit to him,’ says a proud Bailey.
Alan Stubbs went on to have spells at Rotherham United St Mirren and Hibernian
‘He was at a club in Everton where coaching is valued and that does tend to make players want to have a go at it themselves.
‘All of the players like Lee knew the game. What they learned was realising it’s a different experience to get in front of a group of players, even kids. You’re out of your comfort zone and it takes communication, preparation, organisation.
‘As players you just turn up on the field and everything is set up for you. You probably don’t give it a minute’s thought the work that has gone on behind the scenes. The C license was basic but it was a taster to see who enjoyed it and wanted to go on further.
‘It’s brilliant when you see someone like Lee have a whole new successful career out of it.’
