Everton chairman Bill Kenwright has vowed to build on the foundations laid by outgoing manager David Moyes.
Paying tribute to the 50-year-old Scot at Thursday’s End of Season Awards, Mr Kenwright thanked Moyes for his 11 years of service and said he would personally ensure the Club would continue to move forward in his absence.
Everton announced last week that Moyes would be leaving the Club at the end of the season – with Manchester United later confirming him as their successor to long-serving boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
During his time at Goodison Park, the former Preston chief achieved nine top-eight Premier League finishes and also led the Blues to their first FA Cup final in 14 years.
Speaking ahead of presenting Moyes with his Chairman’s BlueBlood award at the glittering St. George’s Hall ceremony, Mr Kenwright said: “When he came to me, when we first met on my sofa 11 years ago, he said, ‘Chairman, you’re not going to do down.’ Well, we didn’t go down and he’s kept us there and taken us forward.
“And although we will miss him like there’s no tomorrow, I promise you David, we will maintain what you have started. I personally will not let you down.”
News of Moyes’ departure saw supporters flock to Goodison Park for his farewell match last Sunday, the 2-0 win over West Ham United proving a fitting way to say goodbye.
“The greatness of Everton Football Club has never been shown more to me than on Sunday when everyone in that stadium rose to acclaim 11 years of extraordinary devotion and hard work by our manager,” added Mr Kenwright.
“You only know the half of what he’s done, you only know the half of what he has brought to his football club, but the half is bigger than any manager in the last 11 years, any manager.”