- Planet Sport writer
- 29 August 2024
Everton's Neal Maupay to leave for Marseille, Orel Mangala close to signing
Everton boss Sean Dyche has revealed that Neal Maupay is expected to leave, while Lyon's Orel Mangala is close to signing for the club.
As a player, Dyche played as a centre half and made his professional debut in 1990.
He played for Chesterfield, Bristol City, Luton Town, Millwall, Watford and Northampton Town, and was promoted with three of his six clubs.
Dyche cut his managerial teeth at Watford, where he led them to 11th place in the Championship in the 2011/12 season, but was sacked at the end of the campaign when the club changed ownership.
Dyche spent 10 years as manager of Burnley, winning two promotions from the Championship and even securing a seventh-place top-flight finish to take the club into Europe, but was sacked in April 2022 with the Clarets embroiled in a relegation scrap from which they failed to escape.
Playing career
Dyche started his career as a youth team player at Nottingham Forest when Brian Clough was the manager. He did not make a first team appearance at Forest though and signed for Chesterfield in early 1990.
Dyche went on to captain the Spireites and was part of the team that reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997. In the game against Middlesbrough, Dyche scored a penalty that gave Chesterfield a 2-0 lead. The game ultimately finished 3-3 and Chesterfield lost 3-0 in the replay.
Following on from these heroics, Dyche moved to Bristol City. In his first season there, he helped secure promotion to Division One. It was a short stay in the second tier of English football for the Robins though, as they were relegated the following season.
In 1999, Dyche was loaned out to Luton Town, where he made 14 appearances.
At the end of the 1998/99 season, he was on the move again, this time to Millwall. He won another promotion to Division One here in 2001 and almost earned promotion to the Premier League, losing to Birmingham City in the play-offs in 2002.
Dyche subsequently joined Watford and captained the side in his final season with the club, spending three years there.
He joined his final side, Northampton Town, in 2005. He helped them gain promotion from League Two but after falling out of favour with new manager Stuart Gray, Dyche was released and later announced his retirement as a player.
Time as Watford manager
After announcing his retirement, Dyche rejoined Watford as coach of the under-18s side in 2007. He was promoted to first team assistant manager under Malky Mackay in July 2009. Two years later, Dyche was announced as the new manager.
In his first season in charge, Watford finished 11th in the Championship, the club's best finish in four years. However, due to a change in ownership, Dyche was relieved of his duties at the end of the season.
Successes in Lancashire
In October 2012, Dyche was named manager of Burnley after Eddie Howe had returned to Bournemouth.
In September 2013, Dyche was named Championship Manager of the Month after leading his side to their best start to a season since they were founded in 1882.
In the same season, he also guided Burnley to promotion, finishing second in the Championship.
However, Burnley spent just one season in the top flight as they were relegated with two games to go. After signing a contract extension in February 2016, Dyche guided his side back to the Premier League, clinching the Championship title in the process.
In January 2018, Dyche signed a new contract with the Clarets that would keep him at the side until the summer of 2022.
In that same season, Dyche guided Burnley to seventh place in the Premier League, their best finish since 1974.
This saw Burnley secure European football for the first time in over 50 years, but they were unable to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League.
In the 2020/21 season, Dyche's side struggled and were in the relegation battle for most of the season. They finished in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone, 11 points clear of 18th-placed Fulham.
Another season of struggled ensued in the 2021/22 campaign, and the club decided to part ways with Dyche after 10 years together.
With just seven games remaining in the season, Burnley sacked Dyche in April 2022, with Mike Jackson taking temporary charge of the side.
Rescue mission at Everton
Everton appointed Dyche as their new manager to replace Frank Lampard on January 30, 2023.
Lampard was sacked a week before after a run of nine defeats in 12 Premier League matches and Dyche took over after signing a two-and-a-half-year contract at Goodison Park.
He had been linked with the Everton job previously, most recently after Carlo Ancelotti's departure in the summer of 2021 before Rafael Benitez's ill-advised appointment.
Sean Dyche's personal life
Sean Dyche has a wife called Jane and they have two sons together. One of them, Max, plays for Northampton Town.
Dyche was a Liverpool supporter in his youth.
Sean Dyche's net worth
Dyche reportedly signed a contract worth £5million-a-year at Everton.
