Ian Woan has revealed he spent years trying to get Sean Dyche to make a move for the Everton job and explained what the dressing room message to his side was following the win over Arsenal.
Woan, along with Steve Stone and Mark Howard, joined Dyche at Everton last month. The quartet had all worked together at Burnley.
Dyche replaced the sacked Frank Lampard and secured the job ahead of former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa. Lampard had won just one of his last 12 Premier League games in charge of Everton.
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The 51-year-old, who was sacked by Burnley last April, had enjoyed a successful spell at Turf Moor. During his decade with the Clarets, Dyche won two promotions to the Premier League and even led Burnley to the Europa League.
Dyche is the seventh permanent manager hired by Blues majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri since he took over the club nearly seven years ago. However, the former Watford boss has been linked with the Blues on a number of occasions in the past.
And Woan, who is a lifelong Evertonian, has revealed he would often try and convince Dyche to make a move for the role due to his love for the Goodison Park club.
He said: “I’ve been pushing the gaffer forever. Whenever the Everton job came up I was like come on gaff, put your name out there, because it is a dream job for me.”
Woan, who enjoyed a successful playing career which is best known for his time at Nottingham Forest, where he spent 10 years and made more than 200 appearances, has been alongside Dyche since he started his management career at Vicarage Road back in 2011.
But the 55-year-old is no yes man and revealed he and Dyche often have a number of 'heated discussions' over footballing matters.
“You need different eyes. I think myself, Steve and the gaffer, we all have strong opinions about how the game needs to be played,” he told evertontv.
“The last thing any manager needs is yes men. We have real heated discussions about formations, team selections, the gaffer is a strong, strong character.
“If he says 'no this is the way we are going' then the coach door opens and we are like 'okay the gaffer has said it 100%, that's us'.”
Dyche kicked off his Everton reign with a huge 1-0 win over Arsenal last weekend. James Tarkowski’s second-half header secured the Blues their first three points since October.
And Woan believes not only did Everton’s players set the benchmark for what is expected with their performance, but he also revealed what Dyche told his side following the game at Goodison.
“We wanted the fans to see there was a different identity. That was what we wanted. All we were after was a performance,” he said.
“It doesn't guarantee anything, especially against the league leaders, but we just wanted to give the fans something to get hold of and grab and grasp.
“To be fair to the lads everyone to a number gave their all. It is only one game, and we have another 17 coming, but it gave us a real good foundation in the game to build from
“The downside for the lads, or the upside for the lads is that they have set the benchmark now and that is the least they can give us. As I said, it doesn't guarantee you a win but it puts you in a better place.”
Woan then added on the message at full-time, saying: “The lads were on a massive high coming in at the end of the game and we understood why.
“Goodison was jumping, but within two minutes at the end of the game we got everybody in and he [Dyche] explained: 'Look lads, absolutely superb, but it is just one game, build it again for the next one, that one has gone. It doesn't guarantee you the next one'.
“That is the way the gaffer works. He doesn't get too high and he doesn't get too low. Raising your minimum is what we are after - and being competitive in every game.”
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