Kevin Thelwell releases classy Everton statement after summer departure confirmed

Kevin Thelwell releases classy Everton statement after summer departure confirmed

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell is due to leave the club in the summer after three years

Kevin Thelwell will leave Everton in the summer (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images )

Kevin Thelwell has described his time at Everton as a “privilege” as he reflected on his three years at the club in a statement to supporters. The director of football is set to leave his post at the end of the season as part of a swathe of changes to the Blues hierarchy under new owners The Friedkin Group (TFG).

In a message relayed through the association of sporting directors, Thelwell looked back at his time spent trying to help Everton through problems on and off the pitch.

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He dealt with two points deductions and three relegation battles amid ownership and boardroom crises but, with the club now 16 points clear of the bottom three under returning manager David Moyes, is set to depart with it still a Premier League outfit.

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Thelwell drew on the experiences of his six transfer windows - across which the Blues made a profit of around £80m through the sales of key players like Anthony Gordon and Richarlison and the gutting of their academy.

Such an approach was influenced by the financial constraints Thelwell was operating within.

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To have come through so many challenges and remain a Premier League club, he believes, is “an incredible achievement”.

Thelwell is set to leave the club in the summer, when his contract is due to expire. Everton are preparing a new structure to take the club forward, one that will see it move away from the director of football model to a “wider sporting leadership team”.

Upon official confirmation of his exit, announced by the club on Friday, Thelwell has now said in a statement: "Dear Evertonians. I would like to start by saying what a privilege it has been to serve as director of football for the past three years. This is an incredible club with so many good people working for it and supporting it. I am proud to have been given the opportunity to work here.

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"Despite the difficulties we have faced over this period I have loved every minute of it, even in the most challenging of these times. Clearly, we have had some tough obstacles to overcome, and it has not been what any of us would have hoped for or wanted for our club.

"With a backdrop of PSR commissions, points deductions, relegation fights, takeover attempts and a financial reality that necessitated tough decisions on player transfers and significantly reduced team investment, it has not been easy to keep our heads above water and retain our Premier League status. Navigating the last three years, whilst building a magnificent new stadium, hopefully provides some pride for you and gives everyone associated with our club and the city the opportunity to look forward to a brighter future.

"I feel that I leave with the club in a much better place than when I arrived, both on the pitch and off it. Being consistently outspent by every team in the league has not been easy but it was a necessity to ensure the survival of our club - and that is something that I’ve always been honest and open about. My goal has always been to manage with the multiple immediate challenges, without jeopardising the long-term future of the club. As a result, we are in a much stronger financial position, and I am excited about where we are on the pitch.

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"From a football perspective we have had to be creative through player trading. Whilst we have received £225m in player sales over the last three years, our circumstances have only allowed us to spend £145m across six transfer windows. Whilst we haven’t got every move right, to build a team capable of competing at Premier League level against that landscape, having to be pragmatic in moving on some of our best players and future talent in the process, is an incredible achievement.

"We have some outstanding professionals here and the experience of Seamus (Coleman), Jordan (Pickford), Tarky (James Tarkowski), Gana (Idrissa Gueye) and Doucs (Abdoulaye Doucoure) in particular have helped to keep our ship steady in the most difficult of times. We also have a core of outstanding young talents that have the potential to play key roles in Everton’s future in Jarrad (Branthwaite), Jimmy (James Garner), Dwight (McNeil), Jake (O'Brien), Tim (Iroegbunam), Youssef (Chermiti), Harrison (Armstrong), Nathan (Patterson) and of course Iliman (Ndiaye). I look forward to seeing them do us proud in the games to come.

"Finally, I would like to thank David and his coaching team for an excellent job so far – long may it continue! Also, thank you to the dedicated staff at Finch Farm who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to keep the wheels turning, and to TFG who we all hope will take the club back to where it belongs! And last but certainly not least, I would like to thank you. Every Evertonian has played as significant a part as anybody at the club during what has been the toughest and most uncertain of times. The unstinting backing for the players and staff at Goodison, and on the road, has been humbling and amazing to see every week. I am eternally grateful to have seen and felt your support and passion.

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"Thank you again for that support, and best wishes for the future. Kev."

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