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Report: Everton set sights on 53-year-old who Mourinho said ‘can cope with anything’

Everton are on the lookout for a new manager after sacking Rafa Benitez last week.

The Toffees parted company with the Spaniard after just six-and-a-half months in charge at Goodison Park.

Everton have won just once in the Premier League since September and are 16th in the Premier League table.

Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images
Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images

A number of coaches have been linked with the vacant Blues reins.

Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are believed to be in the Everton frame.

But according to , several other coaches are on Farhad Moshiri’s radar.

One of those is believed to be Slaven Bilic, formerly of West Ham and West Brom.

The 53-year-old is currently a free agent.

Bilic left Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan earlier this month after just over a year in charge.

He has previous ties with Everton, having played for the Toffees between 1997 and 1999.

Bilic managed West Ham between 2015 and 2017, as well as coaching West Brom between 2019 and 2020.

The Croatian has also managed his country’s national team and their Under-21s.

In addition, Bilic has coached Hajduk Split, Lokomotiv Moscow, Besiktas and Al-Ittihad.

A few days ago, 90min reported that Bilic was eyeing the Everton manager’s job and had put himself forward for the role.

Photo by Nick Potts - Pool/Getty Images
Photo by Nick Potts – Pool/Getty Images

“He has helped the club”

Bilic earned praise from Jose Mourinho in November 2020 as pressure mounted on the then-Baggies boss.

“I don’t know if he is under pressure or not,” the quoted Mourinho as saying.

“If he is, it is difficult to understand because he has helped the club in such a difficult position after being relegated.

“He brought them back to the Premier League and we started the season just a couple of months ago. It is also a strange league at the moment.

“You win a game you are up in the table, you lose one and you are back down again. So I really don’t understand why he is under pressure, if that is the case.

“But he is a big boy and he has a lot of experience which can help his club and I am sure he can cope with anything he has to deal with.”