Confidence and Discipline: Former Everton Player Reflects on David Moyes' Management Style at Goodison Park
Kevin Mirallas was signed by David Moyes during his last season at Everton in 2012/13, com...
Kevin Mirallas was signed by David Moyes during his last season at Everton in 2012/13, coming from Olympiakos for a fee of £6m. Mirallas attributes his decision to join Everton to Moyes, who was the deciding factor for him. The consistent top-half finishes of Everton also played a significant role in convincing Mirallas to make the move to Merseyside.
Playing just one season under Moyes, who departed at the end of the season for Manchester United, didn't prove long enough for Mirallas, though, who wishes he could've had more time to learn under the manager.
David Moyes and Kevin Mirallas enjoyed strong relationship at Everton
"I had many offers after a fantastic second season in Athens, but Everton was the best choice," Mirallas exclusively tells FourFourTwo. "I knew a couple of players there, and when I met David Moyes, I felt the club’s ambition and mentality were a perfect fit. It’s a family club and I felt part of that from day one.
"It was fantastic [playing for Moyes], and I regret that he left after my first season. He gave me a lot of confidence. Although I played as a striker in Greece, he put me on the wing, which I initially found strange but it worked well.
"He was stricter and more direct than Roberto Martinez, but I liked that. We could argue one day and then, by the next, everything was fine."
Despite wanting to play under Moyes for longer, Everton finished fifth in Roberto Martinez's first season at Goodison Park in 2013/14. They also achieved their highest points tally in the Premier League era, with Mirallas himself scoring eight goals in the league, too.
Get FourFourTwo NewsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."We combined what David Moyes had built with Roberto Martinez’s new style, and added a few key players," Mirallas says. "Although pre-season wasn’t great in terms of results, we worked on what Roberto wanted.
"After a few draws, we beat Chelsea at home and that gave us the momentum. We had a great team, and it felt like a family."
