Everton Transfers: David Moyes' Top 10 Signings for the Toffees

Matt Cheetham@@Matt_CheethamX.com LogoCorrespondent IMarch 12, 2012

Everton Transfers: David Moyes' Top 10 Signings for the Toffees

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    As David Moyes celebrates 10 years in charge of Everton, one of his most admirable traits has been his knack of grafting away in transfer windows, always navigating the dearth of finances he has available.

    Deprived of funds for much of his reign, he has had to meticulously assess players, rely on his scouts and be prepared to be inventively imaginative in markets.

    After a couple of quieter windows, this previous January saw the Scot back to his creative best, bringing in Steven Pienaar and Landon Donovan on loan, as well as signing Darron Gibson and Nikica Jelavic up for permanent deals.

    All four transactions were predominately offset by the sales of Louis Saha and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

    Scrupulously scouring the market throughout his 10-year tenure, Moyes has unearthed several hidden gems during this time. With careful time and attention, he has then played a big part in crafting many of these undiscovered products into some of the Premier League's leading talent.

    In total, 76 new faces have arrived with Moyes at the helm, and here is a take on the very best of his work, considering value, profit and—of course—impact for the Toffees. 

10. Seamus Coleman

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    Coleman narrowly keeps the in-form Sylvain Distin and Johnny Heitinga from making the cut here, largely thanks to his outrageously slim transfer fee.

    True, he is yet to finish two full seasons as a first team player, and has had less of an impact this season than the two defenders mentioned, but how many players can say they have potentially multiplied their value over 100 times in 18 months?

    Coleman was scouted playing in Ireland for Sligo Rovers. After being advised to target him, David Moyes needed to bid just £60,000 to acquire the full-back’s services, the same amount a top Premier League player would take home every week in wages.

    In fact, Liverpool could have bought 583 Seamus Colemans for the money they used to buy Andy Carroll. 

    This year has been punctuated by a couple of nagging injuries, but he ended last year breaking into the Irish national side and winning Everton’s Young Player of the Season award.

    His rampaging runs and committed, full-bodied displays, have even caused Everton fans to christen him Seamus Ramos, after Real Madrid's rampaging right-back, Sergio Ramos.

    Coleman may well ended up becoming the Toffees' right-back for years to come.

9. Phil Neville

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    When Phil Neville arrived on Merseyside, following 11 years of service at Manchester United, his signing provoked a mixed reaction from Everton supporters.

    After such a long spell playing for—and clearly being passionate about—a club most Evertonians dislike, he needed to prove a new-found devotion to Everton.

    Despite a rocky start, it did not take long for his energy, commitment and exemplary attitude to win over most doubters. 

    Signed for £3.5 million, over the years his wholehearted performances have more than made up for this fee. That considered, his off-field professionalism and exemplary attitude greatly help his stock here.

    He will have been a valuable role model to the many talented youngsters integrated into Everton's first team, all fortunate enough to be able to learn from his considerable experience.

    He also demands utter professionalism from all around him, and his influence in the dressing room and ability to galvanise those around him continually enhance his worth

    Back on the field, he has never shirked a challenge, and who can forget the way he impeccably nullified Gareth Bale during the game at White Hart Lane last season, when the PFA Player of the Year was at the peak of his powers? That impressive performance even got Neville trending on Twitter!

    David Moyes sees him as his eyes on the pitch, and although his days as a high-class Premier League performer may soon be up, his purchase will undoubtedly go down as a wise bit of business by David Moyes.

8. Tim Howard

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    Tim Howard is another former Manchester United player drafted in by David Moyes.

    He also arrived needing to win over the Goodison Park faithful, who had been so used to seeing Nigel Martyn perform heroics in goal.

    However, it didn't take long for him to gain acceptance, especially as he began in an Everton side that remained unbeaten from August through to October.

    After initially signing on loan, Howard joined for an undisclosed fee, thought to be in the region of £3 million.

    In five-and-a-half seasons, the American has only missed four games, and a couple of them were only due to a clause in that initial loan agreement with Manchester United.

    At 33, he is only just entering his peak in goalkeeping years and his freshly inked new deal almost guarantees Everton will continue to see the best of him. 

    In 2009, he registered 17 clean sheets, breaking Everton’s Premier League record of 15.

    He has also established himself as one of the best goalkeepers facing penalties, saving many decisive efforts over his Everton career, including two vital FA Cup semifinal saves in 2009.

    His value is certainly recognised by Everton, who recently named him (in Bill Kenwright’s infamous leaked transcript) as one of a quartet of players they would simply not accept bids for.

7. Steven Pienaar

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    Had Steven Pienaar not wound down his contract at Everton, eventually leaving for just £3 million, he would have been further elevated up this list.

    Signed on an initial loan, the South African international soon made a permanent switch for roughly £2 million. At his best in an Everton shirt, his value would have soared past eight figures.

    Signed from Borussia Dortmund, he soon settled at Everton enjoying a left-sided role.

    Playing in tandem with Leighton Baines, the attacking instincts of Baines enabled Pienaar to patrol a narrower channel and the duo quickly formed a lethal understanding.

    Throughout his Everton career, Pienaar was always a quietly efficient performer.

    However when Mikel Arteta was sidelined with serious injuries in 2009 and 2010, he really came to the fore.

    It was then he enjoyed his best seasons, initiating many attacks with lavish skill before rounding off the campaign being named Fans' Player of the Season in 2010.

    Overall, Pienaar played at Everton for three-and-a-half years before his recent return, and was an attacking focal point during some of the Toffees' best seasons in recent memory.

    His standout moments would include his input in the cup runs of 2008 and 2009, and his sublime chip that so nearly took all three points at the Emirates against Arsenal in 2010.

    Now back in blue, Evertonians will be hoping he can help create some more memories.

6. Phil Jagielka

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    It took a fee of £4 million to bring Phil Jagielka over from Sheffield United in 2007, after the Blades were controversially relegated back to the Championship.

    He initially featured in defensive midfield or at right-back, but it was not until he was used as a central defender that he truly displayed his pedigree.

    In Everton’s Premier League history, their best defensive record was allowing 44 goals in the 1996 season. However, with Jagielka at the back in 2007, Everton conceded just 36 goals.

    In 2008, the defence then went three better, only conceding 33, while keeping up the consistency in 2009 by only leaking 37.

    Jagielka only missed eight games during these three campaigns and rose to prominence as one of the league’s best defenders, sharing clear chemistry with both Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott.

    His best current memories would still be from the 2009 season, when he played the best football of his career so far. 

    He was influential at the back, won Everton’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards, and forced his way into the England fold.

    Who could forget his match-winning spot kick against Manchester United that year, to send the Toffees into the FA Cup final?

    In 2009, with his value sky-rocketing, he would have been higher up this list, but injury sustained before that final cruelly kept him out for almost a year. He has never quite re-established himself as the dominant force he was. 

    Installed as captain in Phil Neville's absence, he still seems destined to become Everton’s next leader on the field and, with bids almost three times the total spent on him being rejected this summer, he is clearly still valued as being a crucial investment by the club.

5. Nigel Martyn

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    Perhaps a surprise addition on this list, but Nigel Martyn must be considered one of David Moyes’ best buys.

    In fact, Moyes has gone on record several times claiming this to be the case, so it can’t be too far from the truth.

    Signed from Leeds United, for a nominal fee, Martyn was originally brought in to back up and mentor to Richard Wright. However, once Wright suffered an early-season injury, Martyn quickly stepped in and was instrumental in his first few games.

    He remained in goal for the entire season and had a large amount to do with keeping the Toffees in the division during a dismal campaign where they finished 17th.

    He was a rare positive and was particularly impressive in a match against Liverpool, thwarting numerous attempts on goal.

    Martyn's second season saw him retain the starting spot, as Everton surprisingly took the Premier League by storm.

    His sturdy work in goal helped the Toffees finish fourth after an incredible year, good enough to qualify for the Champions League. During this season Martyn helped Everton form a miserly defence and was once again a central performer.

    With all this achieved at the very twilight of his career, injuries and his advancing years ended his time at Goodison Park far too soon for many fans.

    Approaching 40, he retired after making 100 appearances and is still fondly remembered for his goalkeeping exploits.

    What he achieved at Everton could hardly have been predicted when David Moyes brought him in for next to nothing.

    An undoubted bargain, Martyn resurrected his career and quickly become a pillar of consistency on the field.

4. Leighton Baines

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    Baines propels himself up this list due to his current status as Everton’s most valuable commodity and most consistent performer.

    Signed from Wigan for a fee believed to be in the region of £6 million, the miniature left-back's status has swollen emphatically since that move. He is now Everton’s standout performer and arguably one of the best left backs in the Premier League.

    Currently, Baines would potentially only be sold for a figure approaching three or four times his signing fee.

    Last season, incredibly for a left back, he registered 11 Premier League assists, and is now established as understudy to Ashley Cole at international level. 

    Overall, in the 2011 campaign, out of 1,019 total crosses Everton sent in, Baines delivered 351 of them.

    Even more impressively, of the accurate crosses Everton registered, Baines was behind 43 percent of them, signalling his pivotal role to the Toffees' attack.

    His work does not just stop creatively.

    Last season, he also registered seven goals for Everton whilst still doing most of his work defensively, and has been voted the Players’ Player of the Season two years running.

    He was also voted Player of the Season by the fans last year and is a leading contender again.

    With a left-back merry-go-round over the summer, Everton fans will have been relieved nobody seriously targeted Baines, and will hope his on-field exploits form continues.

3. Joleon Lescott

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    Although he is possibly the least-welcome addition to this list—due to sour nature of his move to Manchester City—Lescott's position here is merited.

    Most can still recognise the contribution he made—if not the shrewd bit of business his sale represented.

    He proved a bargain for Everton at around £5 million, considering the Toffees made a net profit on him of nearly £20 million after just three (excellent) seasons.

    Lescott impressed in each of his campaigns in royal blue, winning the Fans' Player of the Season in 2008 and the Players' Player of the Season in 2007 and 2008.

    That year, 2008, was certainly his best.

    For a defender, he scored an incredible 10 goals. He was integral as the club made strides in Europe, reached the semifinals of the League Cup, and ran Liverpool tantalisingly close in a battle for fourth place.

    The following year he was also instrumental in the Toffees’ path to the FA Cup final.

    Generally ever-present during his Everton stint, he was in sides that finished fifth (twice) and sixth.

    Without Lescott in the squad the Toffees have only equalled or bettered those finishes once under David Moyes. 

    Another who bulldozed his way into the England setup on the back of some impressive displays for Everton, Lescott again illustrates Moyes’ knack of honing Championship talent into Premier League and international class.

    At the other end, his overall record of 17 goals in 143 games at Everton makes him one of the more potent defenders of the Premier League era.

2. Mikel Arteta

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    What can be said about Mikel Arteta that has not already been discussed at the end of the summer after his departure to Arsenal?

    After a brief loan spell at the club, he was brought in for just £2 million from Real Sociedad and made an instant impact.

    Player of the Year twice in his first two full seasons, Arteta went on to feature for the Toffees in eight Premier League campaigns.

    When on the pitch, he was Everton’s creative guru, orchestrating countless attacks with craft and guile. He also help fashion a far more attractive look to the Toffees' style, with his intricate passing and excellent vision proving pivotal in most attacks.

    He also scored in each of the eight seasons he featured in, finishing with a decent scoring tally of 34 goals in just over 200 appearances.

    A proven match winner, some of his best moments include a derby-day goal, a dramatic leveller against Manchester United and a wonderful strike against Fiorentina that simply sent Goodison Park into raptures.

    In his first four seasons, Arteta quickly became accepted as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. However, his final two-and-a-half were more choppy, with the Spaniard hampered by injury.

    Had he ever left for an inflated price a season or two before, he may have topped this ranking due to the profit Everton would have made.

    Yet £10 million for a player that cost David Moyes £2 million is certainly admirable business considering the service he gave.

    His pending return to Goodison Park in a week could be an emotional day for Everton's best little Spaniard, as well as the home fans.

1. Tim Cahill

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    Of course, how could anyone else end up higher than Everton's number 17?

    It was close between Cahill and his great mate Arteta, but the repeated amount of times Cahill has spurred Everton on with a match-winning strike sees the Australian triumph.

    Even with his form waning over the past year, and some fans questioning his relevance, the talismanic Aussie has reached cult hero status on Merseyside, and rightly so.

     Bought for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of just £1.5 million, his transfer is viewed as one of the steals of the Premier League era.

    Many pundits rightly point to this acquisition as one of the best ever. Had he ever been sold, at his peak he could have fetched more then 10 times the amount Everton paid for him. Thankfully for the Toffees, this never transpired.

    Aerially, he is still renowned as one of the best in the game, aided by a leap and spring that would surely compete with most basketball players.

    Cahill has been a match winner throughout his Everton career, continually attracting opposition team's best markers, yet so often bettering them. 

    His scoring record of five goals in Merseyside derbies is the second highest post-war tally (behind Graeme Sharp) and represents his big-match reputation.

    Passing 200 league games for the Toffees, he has already hit 55 goals and is closing in on Duncan Ferguson's Premier League record of 61.

    His passion and commitment to the club is exemplary (he even has an Everton tattoo), and his attitude and persona embodies all a fan could hope for in a modern-day player. 

    Brought in at a time when Everton had narrowly avoided relegation, in his first season he was Player of the Season as the Toffees qualified for the Champions League.

    With Cahill on board, Everton have only dropped out of the top eight once in seven seasons. At £1.5 million, there have been few better Premier League bargains.

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