David Moyes facts for kids
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Moyes managing West Ham United in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David William Moyes | ||
| Date of birth | 25 April 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Everton (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1978 | ÍBV | ||
| 1978–1980 | Drumchapel Amateurs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1983 | Celtic | 24 | (0) |
| 1983–1985 | Cambridge United | 79 | (1) |
| 1985–1987 | Bristol City | 83 | (3) |
| 1987–1990 | Shrewsbury Town | 96 | (11) |
| 1990–1992 | Dunfermline Athletic | 105 | (13) |
| 1992–1993 | Hamilton Academical | 5 | (0) |
| 1993–1998 | Preston North End | 143 | (15) |
| Total | 535 | (43) | |
| International career | |||
| 1980 | Scotland U18 | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–2002 | Preston North End | ||
| 2002–2013 | Everton | ||
| 2013–2014 | Manchester United | ||
| 2014–2015 | Real Sociedad | ||
| 2016–2017 | Sunderland | ||
| 2017–2018 | West Ham United | ||
| 2019–2024 | West Ham United | ||
| 2025– | Everton | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He currently manages Premier League club Everton. He was named LMA Manager of the Year three times: in 2003, 2005, and 2009. He also helps lead the League Managers Association.
Moyes played over 540 league games as a centre-back. He started his playing career with Celtic, where he won a championship medal. He also played for Cambridge United, Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town, and Dunfermline Athletic. He finished his playing days at Preston North End. After playing, he became a coach at Preston and then their manager in 1998. Moyes led Preston to win the Division Two title in 1999–2000. They also reached the Division One play-off final the next season.
In 2002, Moyes became the manager of Everton. He helped the club finish fourth in the league in 2004–05. This was their highest finish since 1988. They even played in the qualifying rounds for the UEFA Champions League. Moyes also led Everton to the 2008–09 FA Cup final, where they finished as runners-up. This was their best FA Cup result since 1995. Under Moyes, Everton usually finished between fifth and eighth in the league. When he left, he was the second longest-serving manager in the league.
Moyes took over from Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United in June 2013. However, he was sacked in April 2014 when the club was 7th in the league. He then became head coach of Spanish club Real Sociedad in November 2014 but left after a year. In 2016, he managed Sunderland. He resigned at the end of the 2016–17 season after the club was relegated.
Moyes became West Ham's manager in November 2017. He helped them avoid relegation, finishing 13th. He left when his contract ended. He returned to West Ham in December 2019. In his second time there, West Ham finished in the top seven in the Premier League twice in a row. They also won the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023. This was the club's first major trophy in 43 years. Moyes left West Ham in 2024 and returned to Everton in 2025.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out as a Player
Moyes began his football journey in Iceland with ÍBV in 1978. He played as a centre-back for many clubs. He started at Celtic, where he won a championship medal. He played 24 league games for them. He finished his playing career with Preston North End.
While playing for Cambridge United, Moyes had a disagreement with a teammate about effort and his religious beliefs. Moyes is a Christian.
In 1987, while playing for Shrewsbury Town, Moyes started coaching at a nearby school, Concord College. This helped him earn extra money. He played over 100 games for Dunfermline Athletic between 1990 and 1993. This included playing in the 1991 Scottish League Cup final.
Moyes played over 530 league games in his career. After that, he became a coach at Preston. He worked his way up to assistant manager before becoming the main manager in 1998.
Playing for Scotland
Moyes was the captain of the Scotland under-18 team. He played under Andy Roxburgh in 1980, who later became a UEFA Technical Director.
Managerial Career
Leading Preston North End
Moyes became manager of Preston North End in January 1998. The club was struggling in Division Two and faced relegation. Moyes had been preparing for management for a long time. He took coaching courses at age 22 and kept notes on managers he played for. Preston avoided relegation in the 1997–98 season. They reached the Division Two play-offs the next season but lost in the semi-finals.
The following season, Moyes led Preston to win the Division Two title. This meant they were promoted to Division One. It was a big achievement to get Preston into the Division One play-offs the season after, mostly with the same players. Preston lost 3–0 to Bolton Wanderers in the final. This meant they missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Moyes signed a new five-year contract with Preston. He left for Everton in March 2002. He managed Preston for 234 matches, winning 113 of them.
Managing Everton
First Years at Everton (2002–2004)
Moyes joined Everton on 14 March 2002. He famously called Everton 'The People's Club' in Liverpool. He said it was a "fantastic opportunity." His first game was two days later against Fulham. Everton won 2–1.
Everton improved their form and avoided relegation, which was a real risk when Moyes arrived. The club had a rich history but had not been very successful in the decade before Moyes.
For his first full season, Moyes signed new players like Li Tie, Joseph Yobo, and Richard Wright. He let go of older players. In April 2003, Moyes was sent off during a game for his behavior. Everton finished seventh in the league, just missing out on a UEFA Cup spot. Moyes won his first LMA Manager of the Year award.
The 2003–04 season was tough. Everton signed players like Kevin Kilbane and James McFadden. But they had poor results and didn't win a game in 2004 until late February. Everton finished 17th, just avoiding relegation.
Success and Challenges (2004–2009)
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In summer 2004, Moyes signed Tim Cahill and Marcus Bent. Cahill became one of Moyes' best signings, scoring 15 goals in his first season. Wayne Rooney left the club for Manchester United. Later, Moyes had a disagreement with Rooney about how he left the club. Moyes sued for libel and later settled, donating the money to a charity.
In the 2004–05 season, Everton did much better than expected. They finished fourth in the league. This earned them a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds. Moyes won the LMA Manager of the Year award again. He also broke Everton's transfer record to sign James Beattie.
The 2005–06 season was difficult again. Everton struggled and were fighting relegation. They lost in the Champions League qualifiers and the UEFA Cup. Moyes signed new players like Phil Neville and made Mikel Arteta a permanent signing. They improved and finished 11th.
Moyes broke the club transfer record again in 2006, signing Andrew Johnson. He also signed Joleon Lescott and Tim Howard. These players were very successful. Everton finished sixth in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Cup.
The 2007–08 season was very consistent for Everton. They finished fifth in the league. They also reached the semi-final of the League Cup and the last 16 of the UEFA Cup. Moyes signed more important players like Yakubu, Steven Pienaar, Phil Jagielka, and Leighton Baines. Everton had the fewest yellow cards in the league that season.
For the 2008–09 season, Moyes signed Marouane Fellaini for a club record £15 million. In September, Moyes was sent off by the referee during a game and later fined. In January 2009, he brought in Jô on loan. In October 2008, Moyes signed a new five-year contract. In April 2009, Moyes led Everton to the FA Cup final. They beat Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out. In the final, Everton lost 2–1 to Chelsea.
Final Years at Everton (2009–2013)
In summer 2009, Moyes sold Joleon Lescott to Manchester City. With that money, he signed Johnny Heitinga, Sylvain Distin, and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. He also brought back Jô on loan. Moyes was named Premier League Manager of the Month in January 2010. He managed his 600th game in February 2010. Everton finished eighth that season.
In May 2010, Moyes said he might be interested in managing Celtic in the future. In August 2010, he denied rumors linking him to the Aston Villa job.
In September 2010, Moyes was fined for his behavior towards a referee. In January 2012, Moyes became the fourth manager to win 150 Premier League games. He celebrated his 400th Premier League game in November 2012.
When he reached his 10th anniversary at Everton, many other managers praised Moyes. On 9 May 2013, Moyes announced he would leave Everton to manage Manchester United. Three days later, he managed his last game at Goodison Park. Fans held banners thanking him. Moyes said it was "really emotional."
Some Everton fans called Moyes "Dithering Dave" because they thought he was slow to make decisions, especially with transfers. Another criticism was his poor record against the "Big Four" teams (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool) away from home. His Everton team never won a game at their stadiums in 43 matches.
Managing Manchester United
Moyes signed a six-year contract with Manchester United and started on 1 July 2013. Sir Alex Ferguson chose him as his successor. In his first official game, Moyes won his only trophy with Manchester United: the FA Community Shield in August 2013. He was the first United manager to win a trophy outright in his first season. He won his first league game 4–1 against Swansea City. However, United then had their worst start to a Premier League season. In September 2013, Moyes signed Marouane Fellaini from his old club Everton.
In December, Manchester United lost home league games to Everton and Newcastle United. This was the first time they lost back-to-back home league games since 2001–02. United were ninth in the table. Moyes took "complete responsibility" for the losses. However, United did well in the Champions League, finishing top of their group.
In January 2014, United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Swansea City. They also lost in the semi-final of the League Cup. In February, United lost to Stoke. After two big home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City, some United fans flew a banner saying "Wrong One – Moyes Out." United won their next game 4–1. The club reached the Champions League quarter-finals but lost to Bayern Munich.
On 20 April 2014, United lost 2–0 at Everton. Two days later, Moyes was sacked. He had been in charge for 10 months, one of the shortest times for a United manager. At the time, United were seventh in the league. This meant they would not qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995. Moyes was replaced by Ryan Giggs temporarily, then by Louis van Gaal.
Moyes was criticized for seeming to have a negative attitude at United. He called rivals Liverpool "favourites" before a game. He also said Manchester City were "at the sort of level we are aspiring to."
Managing Real Sociedad
On 10 November 2014, Moyes became the new head coach of Spanish club Real Sociedad. His first game was a 0–0 draw. Six days later, he got his first win at home, a 3–0 victory. On 4 January 2015, Moyes led Sociedad to a 1–0 win over Barcelona. This result was compared to his successful time at Everton. Ten days later, he was sent off during a cup game for arguing with the referee.
He was sacked on 9 November 2015 after a poor start to the season.
Managing Sunderland
On 23 July 2016, Moyes was appointed manager of Sunderland. This was his return to the Premier League.
In April 2017, Moyes made a comment after an interview that was seen as inappropriate. He later apologized for it and was fined £30,000.
Sunderland was relegated to the EFL Championship on 29 April 2017. This was the first relegation in Moyes' career. He resigned on 22 May, the day after the Premier League season ended.
Managing West Ham United
First Time at West Ham (2017–2018)
Moyes became manager of West Ham United on 7 November 2017. The team was in the relegation zone. His first game was a 2–0 loss. On 9 December, he got his first win as West Ham manager, beating Chelsea 1–0. On 13 January 2018, West Ham won 4–1 away from home. This was Moyes' 200th Premier League win. He was only the fourth manager to reach this milestone. West Ham avoided relegation for the 2017–18 season. His six-month contract ended on 13 May 2018, and he left the club.
Second Time at West Ham (2019–2024)
On 29 December 2019, Moyes returned to West Ham United on an 18-month contract. He replaced Manuel Pellegrini, with the team just above the relegation zone. Moyes said, "I'm here to get West Ham wins."
His first game back was a 4–0 win on 1 January 2020. West Ham finished 16th that season. Moyes' 19 games brought 20 points, an improvement from before.
In the 2020–21 season, Moyes led West Ham to a record 65 Premier League points. They finished sixth and qualified for the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League. The team won 19 Premier League games, a club record. Fans even called him "Moyesiah." In June 2021, Moyes signed a new three-year contract.
In the 2021–22 season, West Ham finished in the top seven again. They also reached the Europa League semi-final. This was the first time the club finished in the top seven in back-to-back seasons.
In the 2022–23 season, Moyes led West Ham to win the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina. They were undefeated in the tournament. West Ham finished 14th in the Premier League that season.
In February 2024, Moyes said he had been offered a new contract but would wait to decide. On 6 May 2024, West Ham confirmed Moyes would leave the club when his contract ended in May 2024.
Return to Everton
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On 11 January 2025, Moyes returned to Everton on a two-and-a-half-year contract. He replaced Sean Dyche, with the club 19th in the league. On 19 January 2025, Moyes led Everton to their first win in six matches in the Premier League, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3–2 at home.
Personal Life and Interests
Moyes grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. His father, David Sr, was a scout for Everton and a coach. His mother, Joan, was from Northern Ireland. Moyes' cousin, Dessie Brown, is a football club secretary. His nephew, Ewan Moyes, also played football.
Moyes is a Christian. He often discussed his faith with teammates. He usually prefers not to talk about it in interviews.
Moyes supports the Labour Party in politics. In 2010, he supported Andy Burnham for leader. During the 2014 Scottish independence vote, he supported Scotland staying part of the UK.
Moyes has received honorary awards from two colleges. He also co-owns a racehorse named Desert Cry.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Moyes took a pay cut to help West Ham keep all staff employed. He also delivered food to people in need in his home village. In September 2020, Moyes tested positive for COVID-19 and had to miss a game.
In April 2021, Moyes suggested combining the English and Scottish football leagues. In 2025, he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to football.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Preston North End | 12 January 1998 | 14 March 2002 | 234 | 112 | 60 | 62 | 47.86 | |
| Everton | 14 March 2002 | 30 June 2013 | 518 | 218 | 139 | 161 | 42.08 | |
| Manchester United | 1 July 2013 | 22 April 2014 | 51 | 27 | 9 | 15 | 52.94 | |
| Real Sociedad | 10 November 2014 | 9 November 2015 | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 28.57 | |
| Sunderland | 23 July 2016 | 22 May 2017 | 43 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 18.60 | |
| West Ham United | 7 November 2017 | 13 May 2018 | 31 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 29.03 | |
| West Ham United | 29 December 2019 | 19 May 2024 | 231 | 103 | 45 | 83 | 44.59 | |
| Everton | 11 January 2025 | Present | 20 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 40.00 | |
| Total | 1,169 | 497 | 291 | 381 | 42.51 | |||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Celtic
- Scottish Premier Division: 1981–82
Bristol City
- Associate Members' Cup: 1985–86
Dunfermline Athletic
- Scottish League Cup runner-up: 1991–92
Preston North End
- Football League Third Division: 1995–96
As a Manager
Preston North End
- Football League Second Division: 1999–2000
Everton
- FA Cup runner-up: 2008–09
Manchester United
- FA Community Shield: 2013
West Ham United
- UEFA Europa Conference League: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- LMA Manager of the Year: 2002–03, 2004–05, 2008–09
- Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2002, September 2004, January 2006, February 2008, February 2009, January 2010, March 2010, October 2010, September 2012, March 2013, February 2025
- London Football Awards Manager of the Year: 2021, 2022
Special Recognition
