Soon-to-be Everton manager Sean Dyche has previously admitted his 'distant' childhood fondness for Liverpool.
The former Burnley boss is set to be announced as the new man in charge at Goodison Park, after Frank Lampard was relieved of his duties on Monday following a dismal run of form saw them slip to 19th in the Premier League.
Former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa was in the mix to take over from Lampard, but after talks in London with the pair, Dyche is about to be given the chance to be back in the Premier League.
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Dyche has been out of work since losing his job at Turf Moor in April 2022, but the Blues seemingly believe he can dig them out of trouble and keep them in England's top tier of football.
However, Dyche has not hidden his backing for the red half of Merseyside in the past: "My first recollection of them was at seven years old, then at about eight or nine when you start zooming in on what it’s really about," Dyche told reporters before facing Jurgen Klopp's side in 2019.
“You start getting your favourite players, mine was King Kenny [Dalglish] – as a kid why wouldn’t he be your favourite player? [Graeme] Souness as well. What a fantastic player, no airs and graces. That whole Liverpool thing was quite a powerful thing in the 70s."
Dyche also said: "I got to play in front of the Kop before Phil Neal’s testimonial, they took a local Northampton team and we went up there and got 15 minutes each way. I was a 70s child so everyone was a Liverpool fan but I lived in Kettering so I couldn’t get up there all the time, I was a distant Liverpool fan."
But more recently, Dyche praised the club he is about to join during an appearance on TalkSPORT in November 2022.
In an indication that he understands what Everton is really about, he said of the Blues: "Proper club, we all know that, people's club. I have a feel for that because of my history in the Premier League."
When leaving Burnley last year, Dyche also sent an emotional message to fans of the club: “I would like to thank the people of Burnley and fans of the club for their incredible kindness and support since I joined the club in 2012. The town has become a huge part of my life, and myself and my family thank you for everything we have all experienced together during my time as manager. Amongst the many challenges, there have been some truly incredible times, which are never to be forgotten."
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