On this day in 2016: Everton appoint Ronald Koeman as new manager

Everton appointed former Netherlands captain Ronald Koeman as manager on this day in 2016.

The Toffees agreed a £5million compensation deal with Southampton, the Dutchman’s previous club, for the 53-year-old to succeed the sacked Roberto Martinez.

Koeman, who agreed a three-year deal at Goodison Park worth a reported £6million a year, had impressed after guiding Saints to sixth and seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League in the previous two seasons.

Everton had parted company with Martinez a month earlier after finishing 12th and runs to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup in the 2015-16 campaign.

It was to be the first of several managerial changes under the stewardship of Farhad Moshiri, who became the club’s majority shareholder in February 2016.

Koeman said: “I am very excited to be Everton manager. I believe in the club, in the team, in the fans and in our ability to achieve things in the future.

“Everton is a club with a great history and real ambition and it is a proud feeling for me to be part of what we want to go and do, together with the chairman and Farhad Moshiri.”

Unai Emery, Manuel Pellegrini and Frank de Boer were thought to have been on the shortlist but Koeman was the first choice for the job.

As well as Saints, Koeman had also managed at Valencia and Feyenoord, although his greater pedigree remained as a player after a distinguished career which included spells with Ajax and Barcelona.

He guided Everton to seventh in his first season but was sacked just nine games into the following campaign with the club in the relegation zone. He later coached his national side – his current role – and Barcelona.