Who could succeed Rafael Benitez as Everton manager?
The departure of Rafael Benitez from Everton has opened up another managerial vacancy and some interesting names are already in the running to replace the 61-year-old Spaniard.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the potential candidates to replace him.
wayne rooney
Wayne Rooney performed admirably at Derby in very trying circumstances (Nigel French/PA)
(PA wire)
The England and Manchester United top scorer underwent a baptism of fire in his first managerial job at Derby and the temptation to return to his boyhood club may prove too strong to turn down if the call was coming. Everton have steered managers away from Premier League rivals in the past – Southampton’s Ronald Koeman and Watford’s Marco Silva – but have not, however, chosen to hire a promising manager with little experience.
Frank Lampard
Former Derby and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has been out of management for a year (Clive Brunskill/PA)
(PA Archive)
Like Rooney, Lampard cut his teeth in Derby management before taking the reins at Chelsea, where he enjoyed a stellar playing career and is the club’s all-time top scorer. He held talks with Norwich following Daniel Farke’s dismissal in November, before dropping out of the race for the job. The former Chelsea boss has been out of the job for a year after being sacked last January. Lampard took the Blues to the FA Cup final and Champions League and won acclaim for developing young players like Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, Reece James and Tammy Abraham during his spells at Derby and Chelsea.
Graham Potter
Graham Potter is doing a great job at Brighton (Kieran Cleeves/PA)
(PA wire)
A bid for the current Brighton boss would be a bold move by Everton, and it’s far from certain Potter would consider a move to Goodison Park a step up. The 46-year-old continues to receive praise for the job he did at Brighton and the former Ostersunds and Swansea boss has been linked with a move to a club with more resources than the Seagulls, but Everton might have a hard time convincing Potter to leave. its current project on the south coast mid-season.
Roberto Martinez
Roberto Martinez during his time in charge at Goodison Park (Andrew Milligan/PA)
(PA Archive)
The current Belgian boss has been linked with a return to management at the club on several occasions during his more than five-year stay on the international scene, with Barcelona reportedly considering him a candidate to replace Ronald Koeman. The Spaniard has cemented his reputation since spells in English football with Swansea, Wigan and Everton – which he led to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League during his tenure at Goodison Park.
Duncan Ferguson
Duncan Ferguson has already done the job on a temporary basis (Anthony Devlin/PA)
(PA Archive)
A much-loved figure during his playing days at Goodison Park, ‘Big Dunc’ scored 72 goals in 273 appearances for the Blues over two spells during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since 2014, Ferguson has been part of the club’s first-team coaching staff and served as caretaker manager after Marco Silva was sacked in 2019, as well as being Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant.
Paulo Fonseca
Former Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca is regularly linked with Premier League jobs (Martin Rickett/PA)
(PA Archive)
Linked to Tottenham and Newcastle jobs recently, the 48-year-old led Shakhtar Donetsk to three titles in Ukraine and led Roma to fifth place in Serie A as well as a Europa League semi-final before to leave the Italian capital in May. He held talks with Spurs over the summer before they broke down but has shown his intention to try his hand at the Premier League.
