This is an accepted version of this page
 Moyes asEverton manager in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David William Moyes[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1963-04-25)25 April 1963 (age 62)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-back[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Everton (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1978 | ÍBV | ||
| 1978–1980 | Drumchapel Amateurs[3] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1983 | Celtic | 24 | (0) |
| 1983–1985 | Cambridge United | 79 | (1) |
| 1985–1987 | Bristol City | 83 | (3) |
| 1987–1990 | Shrewsbury Town | 96 | (11) |
| 1990–1992 | Dunfermline Athletic | 105 | (13) |
| 1992–1993 | Hamilton Academical | 5 | (0) |
| 1993–1998 | Preston North End | 143 | (15) |
| Total | 535 | (43[4]) | |
| International career | |||
| 1980 | Scotland U18 | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–2002 | Preston North End | ||
| 2002–2013 | Everton | ||
| 2013–2014 | Manchester United | ||
| 2014–2015 | Real Sociedad | ||
| 2016–2017 | Sunderland | ||
| 2017–2018 | West Ham United | ||
| 2019–2024 | West Ham United | ||
| 2025– | Everton | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professionalfootball manager and formerplayer, who is the manager ofPremier League clubEverton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009League Managers AssociationManager of the Year. He is on the committee for the League Managers Association in an executive capacity.
Moyes made over 540 league appearances as acentre-back in a playing career that began withCeltic, where he won a championship medal. He then played forCambridge United,Bristol City,Shrewsbury Town, andDunfermline Athletic, ending his playing career withPreston North End. He became a coach at Preston, working his way up before taking over as manager in 1998, his first managerial position. Moyes led Preston to theDivision Two title in1999–2000 and theDivision One play-off final the following season.
Moyes became manager of Everton in 2002. The club managed a fourth-place finish in the league in 2004–05, their highest since 1988, and played in the qualifying rounds for theUEFA Champions League the following season, the first time since 1970–71. Moyes led Everton to a runners-up finish in the2008–09 FA Cup, their best performance in the competition since winning in1995. Everton consistently finished between fifth and eighth in the league under Moyes, and at the time of his departure, was the longest-serving manager in the league behindSir Alex Ferguson andArsène Wenger, at 11 years and 3 months.
Moyes succeeded Ferguson as manager ofManchester United in June 2013, but with the club 7th in the league in April 2014 and unable to qualify for European competition, he was dismissed. Moyes was appointed head coach of Spanish clubReal Sociedad in November 2014, but was dismissed after a year in charge. In 2016, he replacedSam Allardyce as manager ofSunderland, but resigned at the end of the 2016–17 season after the club was relegated to theEFL Championship.
Moyes was appointed manager of West Ham in November 2017 and led the club out of the relegation zone to a 13th-place finish, but left at the end of the season when his contract was not renewed. He was appointed at West Ham for a second time in December 2019, following the dismissal ofManuel Pellegrini. During his second stint, West Ham achieved two consecutive top-seven finishes in the Premier League, before victory in the2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League, defeatingFiorentina in thefinal to achieve the club's first major silverware in 43 years. Moyes left West Ham in 2024, and returned to Everton the following year.
Moyes started his career atIcelandic clubÍBV, playing half a season with the youth team in 1978.[5] Moyes enjoyed a career that encompassed playing at a number of clubs, usually as acentre-back, beginning atCeltic, where he won a championship medal and made 24 league appearances, and ending withPreston North End.[citation needed]
As a player withCambridge United, Moyes received abuse from teammateRoy McDonough for his religious beliefs; Moyes is a practising Christian. McDonough felt that religion was distracting them from focusing on playing; speaking of Moyes,Alan Comfort andGraham Daniels, he said: "The three of them sat in the changing room with a little black book, discussing their faith, when they should have been getting psyched up for a relegation scrap."[6] Following a 3–3 draw withWigan Athletic on 9 March 1985, McDonough, who was 26 years old at the time, states that he "battered" Moyes for not putting sufficient effort into the game.[6]
While playing forShrewsbury Town in 1987, Moyes began coaching at the nearby private school,Concord College, on the recommendation ofJake King as a way to supplement his wages.[7] Moyes later made over one hundred appearances forDunfermline Athletic between 1990 and 1993, including a starting appearance in the1991 Scottish League Cup final.
Moyes made over 530 league appearances in his career before becoming a coach at Preston, working his way up to assistant manager before eventually taking over as manager in 1998.[8]
Moyes captained Scotland at under-18 age group level.[9][10] He played under former UEFA Technical DirectorAndy Roxburgh in 1980.[citation needed]
Moyes took over asPreston North End manager in January 1998, replacingGary Peters as the club struggled inDivision Two and were in danger of relegation. He had spent much of his playing career preparing for management, taking coaching badges at just 22 years of age and compiling notes on managers he had played under, their techniques and tactics.[11] Preston avoided relegation at the end of the1997–98 season and reached the Division Twoplay-offs thefollowing season, where they were beaten byGillingham at the semi-final stage.
The following season, Moyes guided Preston to theDivision Two title and a promotion toDivision One. An even greater achievement perhaps was to steer Preston into the Division Oneplay-offs the season after that, with largely the same squad. Preston lost 3–0 toBolton Wanderers in the2001 Football League First Division play-off final, missing out on promotion to thePremier League. One month later, Moyes signed a new five-year contract with the club.[12] In 2001, whilst studying for hisUEFA Pro License, Moyes shadowedRoy Hodgson atUdinese during Hodgson's six month spell at the club.[13] Towards the end of the following season, he left forEverton, to take over from fellow ScotsmanWalter Smith in March 2002. Moyes took charge of Preston for 234 matches, of which his team won 113, drew 58 and lost 63.
Moyes joinedEverton on 14 March 2002[14] and at his unveiling press conference, declared that Everton were 'The People's Club' onMerseyside. He said:
I am from a city (Glasgow) that is not unlikeLiverpool. I am joining the people's football club. The majority of people you meet on the street are Everton fans. It is a fantastic opportunity, something you dream about. I said 'yes' right away as it is such a big club.[15]
His first game in charge was two days later, againstFulham atGoodison Park. Everton won the game 2–1, withDavid Unsworth scoring after just 30 seconds.[16]
Everton managed to sustain a good run of form and avoided relegation, which was a genuine threat when he was originally appointed. Despite having a history and list of honours only surpassed in English football byLiverpool,Arsenal andManchester United, the past decade had not been a successful time for the Toffees, with anFA Cup win in1995 and a sixth-place finish in1996 being about the only bright spots for the club that side of 1990.
Moyes prepared for his first full season in charge at Everton by signing Chinese internationalLi Tie, Nigerian defenderJoseph Yobo andgoalkeeperRichard Wright[17] and released older players such asJesper Blomqvist andDavid Ginola. On 12 April 2003, Moyes was sent to the stands during a game againstWest Bromwich Albion by refereeSteve Bennett for using foul and abusive language and for improper behaviour.[18] Everton were edged out of qualification for the following season'sUEFA Cup on the last day of the season byBlackburn Rovers, following a defeat byManchester United, and finished seventh in the league. Moyes was awardedLMA Manager of the Year for the first time, to go with thePremier League Manager of the Month award for November 2002, when the Toffees had been in the Champions League places.[19]
For the2003–04 season, Moyes signedKevin Kilbane fromSunderland,James McFadden fromMotherwell,Nigel Martyn fromLeeds United andFrancis Jeffers returned on loan fromArsenal. Poor results followed though and Everton did not win a game in 2004 until 28 February. A confrontation between Moyes andDuncan Ferguson at Everton's training ground was said to be symptomatic of the problems at the club.[20] Everton finished 17th with 39 points, the lowest total in the club's history until 2022–23, (although survival had been confirmed some time earlier),[21] just avoiding relegation.
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During the summer of 2004, despite the turmoil surrounding the club's recent form,[22] Moyes managed to bring inTim Cahill andMarcus Bent. To this day, Cahill is considered to be one of Moyes' best signings, scoring 15 goals in his first season playing for Everton. Those who left the club wereTomasz Radzinski,Tobias Linderoth,David Unsworth and, most significantlyWayne Rooney, who joined Manchester United for a reported £25.6 million. Later, theDaily Mail published extracts from Rooney'sautobiography, claiming that Moyes had forced Rooney out of the club and then leaked the details to the press.[23] Moyes went on to sue forlibel beforesettling out of court when Rooney apologised and agreed to pay fordamages.[24] Moyes donated the undisclosed damages from the suit to the Everton Former Players' Foundation.[25]
During the2004–05 season, Everton went on to surpass all expectations by finishing fourth in the league and securing a place in the following season'sthird qualification round for theUEFA Champions League, Moyes again being awarded the LMA Manager of the Year award.[19][26] Moyes then broke Everton's transfer record to bring in strikerJames Beattie in January and, as influential midfielderThomas Gravesen left,Mikel Arteta came in on loan.
At the beginning of the2005–06 season, Everton struggled again and were battling relegation. Their bid to play in the Champions League ended with a loss toVillarreal in the qualifying round, and the club were defeated 5–1 atFC Dinamo București in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Moyes signedNuno Valente,Andy van der Meyde,Simon Davies,Per Krøldrup, andPhil Neville; signedMatteo Ferrari on loan; and made Arteta a permanent signing. They climbed from bottom place in late October to a secure 11th-place finish at the end of the season.
Moyes broke the club transfer record for a second time at the start of the2006–07 season with the £8.6 million acquisition ofAndrew Johnson.Joleon Lescott was also signed fromWolverhampton Wanderers while goalkeeperTim Howard arrived from Manchester United on a loan deal, which was later made permanent. All of these players would prove to be successful signings, further enhancing Moyes' reputation as a team builder. Whilst Everton's league form flourished again, their record in the FA Cup under Moyes did not improve: in the third round they crashed out 4–1 to Blackburn Rovers. An improved league position of sixth was secured along withUEFA Cup football for the next season.
It was the2007–08 season that Everton displayed the most consistency and stability since Moyes arrived at the club, finally ending the cycle of alternating between the top and bottom halves of the league. In his sixth full season in charge, Moyes secured fifth place in the league and reached the semi-final of theFootball League Cup as well as the last 16 of theUEFA Cup, eventually being beaten onpenalties byFiorentina. Moyes also signed four more players who went on to become very important players for Everton:Yakubu was signed for another record fee of £11.25 million,Steven Pienaar for £2.05 million after an initial loan,Phil Jagielka was brought in for £4 million, andLeighton Baines was signed for a fee that could rise to £6 million. All of this gave Everton and its fans cause for optimism as a string of strong performances broke the pattern inconsistency which saw league finishes of 15th, 7th, 17th, 4th and 11th under Moyes. His reputation as a disciplinarian could be seen to manifest in Everton's yellow card count. They received just 27 yellow cards all season – the lowest in the league and six fewer than their nearest rival Liverpool.[27]
Moyes recruitedSteve Round as his assistant manager for the2008–09 season to replaceAlan Irvine, who had taken over as Preston North End manager the previous winter. Everton's first new player of the season,Lars Jacobsen, was brought in two games into the season. This was shortly followed by the signings ofSegundo Castillo andLouis Saha. On deadline day, Moyes secured the services ofgoalkeeperCarlo Nash on a free transfer, andMarouane Fellaini for a club record £15 million. On 14 September, Moyes was sent to the stands by refereeAlan Wiley during a game againstStoke City. He was later fined £5,000 byThe Football Association for improper conduct and warned about his future behaviour.[28]
At the end of the transfer window January 2009, Moyes brought in Brazilian international strikerJô on loan fromManchester City. On 14 October 2008, Moyes agreed to extend his Goodison Park stay by a further five years.[29] On 19 April 2009, Moyes led his team to anFA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester United, after a penalty shoot-out, to reach the final for the first time since 1995. In what would be Everton's only appearance in a final during Moyes' time at the club, Everton werebeaten 2–1 by Chelsea despite taking a lead through Louis Saha in the opening minute.[30]
In the summer of 2009, Moyes sold Joleon Lescott to Manchester City for £22 million, after a saga that lasted for the entire transfer window. With the money from the Lescott sale, Moyes brought inJohnny Heitinga,Sylvain Distin andDiniyar Bilyaletdinov. He also re-signed Jô on a season-long loan andLucas Neill on a free transfer. Moyes was named asPremier League Manager of the Month for January 2010 after three wins and a draw. Moyes took charge of his 600th match as a manager on 6 February 2010 in theMerseyside Derby against Liverpool which resulted in a 1–0 defeat. Everton ended the season in eighth place, failing to qualify for Europe for the first time in four years despite a run of only two defeats in their last 24 league games.
On 14 May 2010, Moyes revealed he would be interested in taking up the Celtic job in the future; that job did indeed become vacant at the end of the2009–10 season with the departure ofTony Mowbray, but Moyes did not put his name forward for the vacancy andNeil Lennon was appointed instead. In August 2010, Moyes dismissed speculation linking him with the manager's job atAston Villa left vacant by the resignation ofMartin O'Neill.[31]
In September 2010, Moyes admitted an improper conduct charge in relation to his behaviour towards refereeMartin Atkinson following a 3–3 draw with Manchester United. He was fined £8,000 with his assistant Steve Round also admitting to the same charge.[32]In January 2012, Moyes became the fourth manager, afterAlex Ferguson,Arsène Wenger andHarry Redknapp, to record 150 wins in the Premier League.[33] He celebrated his 400th Premier League game in November 2012 with a 2–1 win againstSunderland.[34]
Upon reaching his 10th anniversary at the club Moyes received praise from many fellow managers includingSir Alex Ferguson,Arsène Wenger andKenny Dalglish for his achievements at Everton.[35] His service to Everton was also praised inParliament bySteve RotheramMP.[36]
On 9 May 2013, following Ferguson's retirement atManchester United and with his own contract expiring at the end of the season, Moyes informed Everton that he would leave the club to succeed Ferguson.[37][38] Three days after being named as Ferguson's successor at Manchester United, Moyes took charge of his last game with Everton at Goodison. He received a guard of honour by his own players prior to the post-match lap of appreciation, and Everton fans held banners with messages such as "Goodbye and Good luck", and "Thanks for the memories". On his reception, Moyes stated, "It was really emotional. All the stewards were standing clapping me when I came in and I didn't know what to do. I am gobsmacked and thankful and humbled for what the people of Everton have shown me today".[39]
Some fans at Everton dubbed Moyes "Dithering Dave", criticising what they saw as indecisive management, particularly regarding transfers.[40][41] Another criticism of his eleven years at Everton was his away record against the "Big Four" (the four best Premier League teams of the last decade), Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. In 43 matches atOld Trafford,Stamford Bridge,Highbury/Emirates Stadium andAnfield, his Everton team failed to win a single game.[42]
Moyes signed a six-year contract with Manchester United, and officially took up his managerial position on 1 July 2013.[37][38] Moyes had been hand-picked as manager by Sir Alex Ferguson and after his appointment a banner reading "The Chosen One" was displayed at Old Trafford.[43] His first unofficial game as United manager ended in defeat asTeeratep Winothai scored the only goal forSingha All Stars inBangkok on 13 July 2013.[44] On 11 August 2013, he won his only trophy with Manchester United in his first official game, a 2–0 win overWigan Athletic in theFA Community Shield.[45] It meant he became the first United manager in history to win a trophy outright in his first season in charge.[46] Less than a week later, he won his first league game in charge of the club, opening the season with a 4–1 victory againstSwansea City, but after that, United suffered their worst ever start to a Premier League season, leading the start of his reign to be described as "calamitous" following a 1–0 defeat at Liverpool, a 4–1 defeat at Manchester City and a 2–1 home defeat byWest Bromwich Albion (United's first defeat to West Brom at home since 1978),[47] with several journalists stating the pressure was now on despite it being early in his reign.[48][49][50] On 2 September 2013, Moyes signedMarouane Fellaini on a four-year contract, with the option of extension of another season, reuniting with his former player in a £27.5 million deadline day deal.[51]
In December, Manchester United lostPremier League matches at home toEverton andNewcastle United in the space of four days (United's first defeat at home to Everton in 21 years, and first at home to Newcastle in 41 years),[47] suffering back-to-back league defeats atOld Trafford for the first time since the2001–02 season.[52] United were ninth in the table after 15 games, 13 points behind leadersArsenal.[53] Moyes said that he took "complete responsibility" for United's defeats but said he was confident his team would improve.[54] Moyes did however have a positive start to his firstChampions League campaign with the club. United finished top of their group after winning four of their six group stage matches.[53]
In January 2014, United were knocked out of theFA Cup in the third round by Swansea City, losing 2–1 at home (Swansea's first ever win at Old Trafford),[47][55] and lost in the semi-final of theFootball League Cup, withSunderland winning a penalty shoot-out. In February, United lost 2–1 at Stoke (Stoke's first win over United in 30 years).[47] Following consecutive 0–3 home defeats againstLiverpool andManchester City, aflypast was staged by United fans with the banner displaying "Wrong One – Moyes Out" in seven-foot high lettering during a home match againstAston Villa in March. After the match, which United won 4–1, Moyes said the majority of fans had been "very supportive" of him.[56][57] The club reached thequarter-final stage of the Champions League, after beatingOlympiacos, but were defeated 4–2 onaggregate byBayern Munich.[58]
On 20 April 2014, United lost 2–0 at Everton (the first time Everton had defeated United home and away in 44 years).[47] Two days later, United announced that they had dismissed Moyes.[59] Moyes was in charge of United for 10 months, the third-shortest managerial stint in United history[59] and the shortest in 82 years, despite calls from several respected ex-Manchester United players such asDenis Law[60] andDavid Beckham[61] calling for Moyes to be given more time at the club.[62] At the time of his sacking, United were seventh in the Premier League table, 13 points behind fourth-placed Arsenal with four matches remaining, ensuring United would fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995 and finish outside of the top three for the first time in Premier League history.[63] Moyes had won 5 points from a possible 24 against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal (the top four at the time of his dismissal).[59] He was replaced in the interim by long-serving playerRyan Giggs and permanently byLouis van Gaal.[64] Moyes was awarded £5 million in compensation following the dismissal.[65]
Moyes was critiqued for his perceived defeatist attitude while at United. He had referred to their rivals Liverpool as the "favourites" ahead of their trip to Old Trafford (Liverpool managerBrendan Rodgers responded "I would never say that at Liverpool – even if I was bottom of the league"),[66] and on Man United, the defending champions, Moyes stated their city rivals Manchester City were "at the sort of level we are aspiring to".[67] Calling the appointment of Moyes Ferguson's second biggest mistake as Man United manager, theManchester Evening News stated, "Moyes never sounded or managed like a United manager. United got an Everton manager, Everton coaches, an Everton player and achieved an Everton finish; seventh".[66]
On 10 November 2014, Moyes was appointed as the new head coach ofLa Liga clubReal Sociedad on an 18-month deal after the dismissal ofJagoba Arrasate, with the team lying in 15th on the table.[68] His managerial debut was an away league match againstDeportivo La Coruña on 22 November, which ended in a goalless draw.[69] Six days later, in his first home match atAnoeta, he earned his first victory as the club's coach,Carlos Vela scoring a hat-trick in a 3–0 win overElche.[70] On 4 January 2015, Moyes led Sociedad to a 1–0 win overBarcelona,[71] a result which journalists compared to his management of Everton and contrasted with his results at Manchester United.[72] Ten days later, in a 2–2 home draw against Villarreal which eliminated his team from theCopa del Rey, Moyes was sent to the stand and later given a two-match touchline ban for arguing over an offside decision.[73]
He was dismissed on 9 November 2015 after coming under increasing pressure due to a poor start to theseason.[74]
On 23 July 2016, Moyes was appointed as the replacement forSam Allardyce as manager ofSunderland, returning to the Premier League for the first time since his sacking as United boss in April 2014.[75]
On 3 April 2017, it was revealed that Moyes had made a controversial remark after a post-match interview after Sunderland's goalless draw with Burnley on 18 March. After the interview with theBBC'sVicki Sparks, while the microphone was still audible, Moyes, said: "It was getting a wee bit naughty at the end there so just watch yourself. You still might get a slap even though you're a woman. Careful the next time you come in". Moyes apologised for the incident. The FA wrote to Moyes to ask for his observations on the incident.[76] In June that year, he was fined £30,000 for the comments, a decision that was upheld by an independent panel the following month.[77]
Sunderland were confirmed to berelegated to theEFL Championship for the first time in ten years on 29 April 2017, after a 1–0 loss toAFC Bournemouth, marking the first relegation of Moyes' career. After the match, he stated that he would like to remain as manager.[78] However, on 22 May, one day after the end of the Premier League season, Moyes resigned.[79]
Moyes was appointed manager ofWest Ham United on 7 November 2017, with the team in the relegation zone.[80] Moyes marked his first game in charge of West Ham, and his 500th Premier League game, with a 2–0 loss away toWatford on 19 November.[81] On 9 December, he won as Hammers manager for the first time,Marko Arnautović scoring the only goal of a win over reigning champions Chelsea at theLondon Stadium.[82] On 13 January 2018, West Ham registered a 4–1 win away toHuddersfield, which became Moyes' 200th victory as a Premier League manager, he became only the fourth to reach this milestone, afterSir Alex Ferguson,Arsène Wenger andHarry Redknapp.[83] Following a 2–0 win atLeicester City on 5 May 2018 and with two games remaining of the season, Moyes managed West Ham to Premier League survival for the 2017–18 season.[84] His six-month deal with West Ham expired on 13 May 2018 and he left the club shortly after.[85][86]
On 29 December 2019, Moyes returned to his previous position as the manager of West Ham United on an 18-month contract.[87] He replacedManuel Pellegrini, who had left them in 17th in the Premier League table, one point above the relegation zone.[87] Speaking about his return to West Ham, Moyes said, "I think there's only two or three managers with a better Premier League win record. That's what I do, I win. I'm here to get West Ham wins and get them away from the bottom three."[88]
His first game on return resulted in a 4–0 win, against Bournemouth, in the Premier League on 1 January 2020.[89] West Ham finished in 16th place in the Premier League with 39 points, their lowest points tally since2010–11 when they gained 33 points and finished bottom. Moyes' 19 games in charge produced 20 points, one more than the previous 19 games managed by Manuel Pellegrini.[90]
In the2020–21 season, Moyes guided West Ham to a record Premier League points total of 65, finishing in sixth place and qualifying for the2021–22 UEFA Europa League. The team won 19 Premier League games, including nine away, both records for the club.[91] Owing to these strong performances, someWest Ham supporters affectionately given the manager the moniker "Moyesiah".[92] In June 2021, Moyes signed a new three-year contract with West Ham.
In the2021–22 season, Moyes guided West Ham to a top-seven finish[93] and a Europa League semi-final, where they lost 3–1 on aggregate toEintracht Frankfurt.[94] It was the first time in club history that the club finished in the top seven in back-to-back seasons.[95]
In the2022–23 season, Moyes led the club to victory in the2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final againstFiorentina to finish undefeated in thetournament play, winning 12 games and drawing one.[96][97] West Ham finished the Premier League season in 14th place, the lowest table position any team winning a European trophy has ever finished at the time.[98]
In February 2024, with some supporters calling for him to be replaced, Moyes said he had been offered another contract but would wait until the end of theseason before deciding if he should sign it.[99][100][101] In April 2024, after Moyes had received criticism from some fans for his perceived negative style of play, a spokesperson for West Ham said they would be waiting until the end of the season before deciding on any future contract.[102] On 6 May 2024, West Ham confirmed that Moyes would leave the club at the end of his current contract, at the end of the 2023–24 season.[103]
On 11 January 2025, Moyes returned to Everton on a two-and-a-half-year contract, replacing previous managerSean Dyche, who had left the club 16th in the league, one point above the relegation zone.[104] On 19 January 2025, Moyes guided Everton to their first win in six matches in thePremier League, winning 3–2 at home againstTottenham Hotspur.[105] On 14 March 2025, he was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month award after Everton remained unbeaten throughout the entire month of February.[106] Everton would remain undefeated in the league until a 1–0 loss to rivals Liverpool on 2 April 2025.[107]
During the2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Moyes provided some commentary for selected matches forBBC Radio 5 Live. In May 2024,Talksport announced Moyes as one of their broadcast team coveringEuro 2024 in June and July 2024.[108] He was also part of theBBC team at Euro 2024.[109]
Moyes was born and raised in theThornwood area ofGlasgow, before his family moved to the nearby town ofBearsden.[110] Moyes' father, David Sr, was a scout at Everton and previously a coach atDrumchapel Amateurs, where Moyes began his career.[3] His full-time occupation was as a pattern-maker and later a lecturer atAnniesland College in North Glasgow. Moyes' mother, Joan, hailed fromPortrush in Northern Ireland and worked in clothes stores in Glasgow.[111] His cousin, Dessie Brown, is secretary ofColeraine Football Club.[112] Moyes' nephew is formerLivingston playerEwan Moyes.[113]
Moyes is a devoutChristian who would often discuss religion withAlan Comfort andGraham Daniels, although he is often reluctant to talk about his faith in interviews.[114]
Moyes is a supporter of theLabour Party and in 2010 backedAndy Burnham to be leader in theLabour Party leadership election.[115][better source needed] During the2014 Scottish independence referendum he was a supporter of theBetter Together campaign againstScottish independence.[116]
In 2005, Moyes received anhonorary fellowship fromMyerscough College near Preston.[117] In December 2017, Moyes received another honorary fellowship from theUniversity of Central Lancashire.[118]
Moyes co-owns the racehorse Desert Cry, which was trained byGinger McCain.[119]
In April 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Moyes accepted a 30% cut to his salary as West Ham looked to retain jobs allowing them to pay 100% of non-playing staff salaries.[120] He left London during the pandemic and worked in his home village in Lancashire delivering fruit and vegetables to those in need.[121] On 22 September 2020, shortly before anEFL Cup fixture againstHull City, Moyes and playersJosh Cullen andIssa Diop tested positive forCOVID-19 and left the ground before the game. His place was taken byAlan Irvine as West Ham won 5–1.[122] He then returned a second positive test three days later.[123]
In April 2021, Moyes spoke in favour of merging the English and Scottish football league pyramids and expanding the Premier League into two divisions.[124]
Moyes was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2025 New Year Honours for services to football.[125]
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Preston North End | 12 January 1998[126] | 14 March 2002[15] | 234 | 112 | 60 | 62 | 047.86 | [126] |
| Everton | 14 March 2002[15] | 30 June 2013[37] | 518 | 218 | 139 | 161 | 042.08 | [126] |
| Manchester United | 1 July 2013[37] | 22 April 2014[59] | 51 | 27 | 9 | 15 | 052.94 | [127] |
| Real Sociedad | 10 November 2014[68] | 9 November 2015 | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 028.57 | [126] |
| Sunderland | 23 July 2016 | 22 May 2017 | 43 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 018.60 | [126] |
| West Ham United | 7 November 2017 | 13 May 2018 | 31 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 029.03 | [126] |
| West Ham United | 29 December 2019 | 19 May 2024 | 231 | 103 | 45 | 83 | 044.59 | [126] |
| Everton | 11 January 2025 | Present | 49 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 038.78 | [126] |
| Total | 1,199 | 508 | 300 | 391 | 042.37 | |||
Celtic
Bristol City
Dunfermline Athletic
Preston North End
Preston North End
Everton
Manchester United
West Ham United
Individual
Moyes has been criticised in some quarters for a lack of decisiveness in the transfer market. Construed in the context of his desire to know who these expensively acquired individuals are, the "Dithering Dave" accusations are as risible as they are unfair.
At Everton, Moyes acquired the most unwanted of nicknames – 'Dithering Dave' – because of the inordinate length of time he often took to make a decision, and especially when it came to transfers.
Ange Postecoglou accepted Tottenham Hotspur is struggling badly but remains confident he is the man to turn its fortunes around despite suffering a 3-2 defeat against Everton in the Premier League
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