David Moyes has agreed to return to Everton as manager following the departure of Sean Dyche.
Dyche was sacked on Thursday – just three hours before the Toffees' FA Cup third-round win over Peterborough – after winning just one of his last 11 games with Everton, leaving them just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
Moyes, 61, will now return to management after leaving West Ham at the end of last season as he takes charge of Everton for the second time, 11-and-a-half years after leaving for Manchester United.
Analysis: Moyes is the safest choice for Everton
Sky Sports News' Alan Myers:
“David Moyes is the safest choice. Changing managers in this position is a big risk. It's a big plus to have someone who knows the club from the inside and who can start from the pitch.
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Speaking in December, Moyes told Sky Sports News he would not consider a job at a club bottom of the Premier League
“Everton need a club to be safe, I think he can do that. The initial aim and aim is to ensure Everton maintain their Premier League status before moving to a new stadium.
“The landscape has changed since Moyes was last at Everton. He will now be working under what might be perceived from the outside as ruthless owners. It's not quite the stability he had when Bill Kenwright was chairman.”
WATCH: Relive the best of Moyes' first spell at Everton
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In his first press conference as Everton manager in 2002, Moyes called the Toffees 'the people's football club'
Is the return of Moyes the right move for Everton?
Sky Sports' Ben Grounds:
They say that there is no place for sentiments in football.
However, Dyche has been out on loan for some time and the club Moyes is set to return to is very different to the one he left in 2013.
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11 December 2004 – Goodison Park erupts as Moyes guides Everton to their first Merseyside derby win over Liverpool in five years
It will be seen as an emotional return, but it cannot be sentimental. The sight of Seamus Coleman telling Leighton Baines, a team-mate during Moyes' first spell, to “clap” after their names were read over the beat before kick-off against Peterborough tugged at the heartstrings.
After a chaotic day, it was a moment to bask in the two Everton greats who will become a key sounding board for Moyes, especially in the opening weeks at Finch Farm.
Moyes will recognize a few faces on the training ground and among the hospitality staff, but very little apart from the fevered fans bears any resemblance to the fabric he carved over 11 years ago more than a decade ago.
From Angry Birds to Bernard. From a company that is parting with eight permanent managers to 777 partners. From Ronald Koeman's three No.10s in one summer to Farhad Moshiri's wasted millions, Everton fans have been through it all since the man who coined the 'People's Club' left as 'The Chosen One' to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Comparing the Everton side he inherited in March 2002 to the one he is now preparing to take over, the 61-year-old would be confident of proving his doubters wrong once again. He may not be the 'project manager' that is easily recognized as a long-term arrangement, but Moyes is worth a lot more than a six-month romantic revival.
'He has gray hair, but we don't care…'
Eight permanent managers tried and ultimately failed to emulate Moyes' achievements at Everton. In a game without sentiment, the man himself deserves a chance to lead them out of trouble.