JOLEON LESCOTT was one of a long list of players to join Everton under David Moyes, who came from relative obscurity to find their career
trajectory take a decidedly upward curve.
A fairly expensive gamble, at £5m from Wolves, Moyes’ instincts on Lescott proved correct. Player of the Year in 2008, he established himself as an England international at Goodison, and as a goalscoring defender. He scored ten goals in one memorable campaign.
The circumstances surrounding his departure could have been handled a lot better from his side, but I remember writing at the time that it was likely to be the agent, not the player, creating the majority of the tension.
Everton, as ever, handled the situation brilliantly, getting a very good fee for the player, and reinvesting that money into their squad.
Lescott (pictured), for his part, has done well since his move, continuing his international career and emerging as a regular in Manchester City’s title-winning side. Statistically, last season he was one of the best defenders around. Not bad for a defender who made his name at Everton as an attack-minded full back.
Roberto Mancini’s style of management, it seems, is not about man-management. He places little store in making players feel loved or valued, preferring, to an outsider, to generate friction and conflict among an extraordinarily talented squad.
His assistant, David Platt, has been unable to give a satisfactory answer as to Lescott’s future, with some reports linking him back to Everton, on loan.
Why not? He had great success here, and David Moyes knows him better than anyone. The supporters may find it hard to forgive, but they managed it with Steven Pienaar. It could be a good deal all round.
