Frank Lampard must bring back former Everton starlet if named manager

By the time you read this we may know.

Or at least, we may have a better idea of which man will be picked as Everton's new manager.

The search, which has become a circus, could be nearing its conclusion.

Or maybe not. It's been that kind of week, hasn't it?

But on Thursday, Frank Lampard had been growing increasingly hopeful that he was the favourite to replace the sacked Rafa Benitez and be the one given the task of saving Everton's season.

But with Vitor Pereira and Duncan Ferguson, also due for 'final' interviews with Farhad Moshiri and the Blues' hierarchy in London today, nothing was signed or sealed.

Lampard was seen as the favourite but, as others have experienced in the past with Everton's manager searches, that counts for absolutely nothing.

But should Lampard land the top job at Goodison then after offering his input into the search for a midfielder before Monday night's transfer deadline, his next target has to be clear.

Anthony Barry.

The 35-year-old Chelsea coach ticks every box Everton are looking for. And given the club have played it clear they want an Everton 'DNA' to run through the club following the conclusion of their strategic review, Barry is ideal.

For those of you who may not know about Barry, here's a brief run down of his career.

The midfielder was a youth player at Everton, being a team-mate of Wayne Rooney, before being released in 2004.

His professional career took him into League One, League Two and non-league, where he played for clubs including Accrington, Yeovil and Fleetwood Town.

But coaching is where Barry has excelled, first as an assistant to Paul Cook at Wigan Athletic before Lampard brought him to Chelsea, when he took charge of the team in the summer of 2020.

Thomas Tuchel, who